Cheese Pide with Charred Leeks and Crispy Potato

Thankfully, Selin let us have the recipe so we (and you!) can fire these delicious Turkish treats through Roccbox all the time…

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1. For the dough;

– To make the dough, pop the flour into a stand mixer along with the sugar, salt, yeast and olive oil. Mix using the dough hook attachment and add the water.

– Mix for around 5 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic.

– Transfer the dough to a work bench and divide into 85/100g pieces and shape into balls. Pop the dough balls onto a greased tray and cover with cling film. Leave in the fridge until required.

2. For the cheese sauce;

– In a saucepan on a medium heat, melt the butter and then whisk in all the flour.

– Add 1/3 of the milk and whisk until smooth. Repeat with the remaining 2/3 of milk in 2 stages.

– Turn the heat right down and cook for around 15 minutes, whisking occasionally.

– Finally, whisk in the two cheeses (the pecorino will melt but the halloumi won’t!) and transfer to a shallow tray and allow to cool completely.

3. For the filling;

– Cut off the dark green part of the leeks and wash the lower part well and pat dry. Pop the leeks directly into a hot Roccbox and allow to char, turning occasionally, for 10-15 minutes.

– Once the leeks are soft remove the burnt outer layer but leave a little of the char on as this adds great flavour and cut into 2-3cm slices.

– Mix the vinegar, grated garlic and oil together to make a quick dressing, season, and pour over the leek slices whilst still warm. Set to one side.

– Peel the potatoes and slice very finely with a sharp knife or, ideally, on a mandolin into 1mm slices and pop them into a bowl of warm water.

– Rinse off the potatoes to remove excess starch and dry on a clean cloth.

– Heat a pan of sunflower oil to 160 degrees (or you can use a deep fryer here if you have one) and working in small batches, fry the potato slices until golden and crisp. As the potatoes come out the oil season them with fine salt. Set to one side.

4. Building the pide;

– On a floured surface, roll out a dough ball into a large oval shape- apporoximately 40cm x 15cm and 3mm thick.

– Leaving an edge of around 3cm, spread 1/6 of the cheese sauce down the centre. Sprinkle over a little oregano and sesame seeds and add a layer of leeks. Season with salt and then fold over the edges, leaving the centre of the filling exposed – you are looking to achieve a canoe shape. Ensure you pinch the ends really well to avoid it unravelling whilst baking.

– Gently pull the pide onto a floured Roccbox peel and launch into the oven. Roccbox needs to be fully saturated with heat on a medium to low flame at around 350 degrees.

– Bake the pide for around 3 minutes, rotating and turning as required and finishing the last minute or so at the front third of the oven.

-Transfer to a chopping board and rush the crust with the melted butter, sprinkle over a little more oregano and 1 tbsp of the tulum cheese before topping with the potato crisps and serving.

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