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Yantyk
Cheese and herb griddle pastries
Yantyk (янтик): Crimean Tatar griddled pastry half-moons with cheese and herbs, brushed with butter
UkrainianCrimean Tatar cafés from Bakhchysarai to the family-run places that opened in Kyiv and Kherson after 2014 make yantyk to order: a paper-thin unleavened dough folded over a filling, cooked on a dry hot griddle and brushed with butter as it comes off. Unlike chebureki, nothing is deep-fried, so the pastry is soft and blistered with charred spots and the cheese inside melts with dill and spring onion. They are eaten hot with sweet black tea or a glass of ayran. Brined white cheeses such as brynza and feta are often made with animal rennet; choose one labelled vegetarian. The common mistake is rolling the dough too thick, which gives a doughy, pale yantyk; it should be thin enough to see the board through. Chef's tip: stack the buttered yantyk on a plate and cover with a bowl for a minute, so the steam softens the pastry the way Crimean cooks like it.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the dough
- 10 ½ oz plain flourplus extra for rolling
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- ¾ cup warm water
For the filling
- 9 oz vegetarian brined white cheese (feta-style)crumbled
- 3 ½ oz vegetarian mozzarellagrated
- 3 tbsp dillchopped
- 3 spring onionsfinely sliced
- ¼ tsp black pepper
To finish
- 1 ⅜ oz buttermelted
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Mix 10 ½ oz plain flour and ½ tsp salt, add 1 tbsp sunflower oil and ¾ cup warm water and knead for 5 minutes into a smooth, soft dough. Cover and rest for 20 minutes so it relaxes.
25 minStep 2: Mix 9 oz vegetarian brined white cheese (feta-style), 3 ½ oz vegetarian mozzarella, 3 tbsp dill, 3 spring onions and ¼ tsp black pepper for the filling.
3 minStep 3: Divide the dough into 8 balls. On a floured surface roll each into a very thin round, about 20 cm across.
8 minStep 4: Spread a heaped spoon of filling over one half, leaving a 1 cm border, fold over into a half-moon and press the edges firmly together with your fingers or a fork.
6 minStep 5: Heat a large dry frying pan or griddle over a medium-high heat. Cook the yantyk one or two at a time for 1½–2 minutes a side, until blistered with brown spots and the cheese inside has melted.
16 minStep 6: Brush each one generously with 1 ⅜ oz butter as it comes out of the pan, stack and keep covered. Serve hot.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 20 g
- Carbs
- 58 g
- Fat
- 23 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does yantyk take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 35 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of vegetarian mozzarella?
- Provolone or a mild cheddar, same amount.
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