Journik (Cabbage Pie)
Journik (Cabbage Pie) is one of the traditional pastries of Thracian cuisine. Prepared with slow-cooked lamb and cabbage filling layered between thin sheets of phyllo pastry, it is baked until golden and crispy. Passed down through generations, this hearty dish is one of the region's unique culinary treasures.
Spices Used
Ingredients
Recipe Steps
Preparation
Sear the bone-in lamb over high heat until the released juices have evaporated.
Finely chop the onions and sauté them in vegetable oil until softened.
Add the tomato paste, pour in a little water, and cook for about 5 minutes until well combined.
Add the finely chopped cabbage and cook until softened.
Combine the cooked lamb with the cabbage mixture.
Add enough water to cover the mixture and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated.
Stir in 2–3 tablespoons of flour to thicken the filling, then remove from the heat and let it cool.
If making homemade phyllo, prepare a dough with flour, water, and salt, then roll it into thin sheets
Brush each sheet with oil and layer them in a baking tray.
Bake for about 10 minutes, just until the pastry begins to dry.
Remove the meat pieces from the cooled cabbage filling.
Spread the cabbage mixture evenly over the layered pastry.
Arrange the meat pieces evenly on top.
Return to the oven and bake at 200°C (392°F) until the pastry is golden and fully cooked.
Serve hot.
Mutfak İpuçları
The cabbage filling should be cooked until almost all of its liquid has evaporated to prevent the phyllo pastry from becoming soggy.