Moroccan · Pastry
Briouat (Crisp Moroccan Almond or Savoury Triangles)
Briouat are little warqa-wrapped triangles or cigars, deep-fried until shatteringly crisp. The sweet version hides a cinnamon-scented almond paste and is dipped in honey; the savoury version holds spiced minced meat, chicken or cheese. They appear at every wedding, Ramadan table and celebration in Marrakech.
- Prep
- 45 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 65 min
- Serves
- 6
- Level
- Medium
Ingredients
- 12 sheets warqa pastry (or filo/spring-roll wrappers), cut into long strips
- For sweet filling: 250 g ground almonds, 80 g icing sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tbsp orange-blossom water, 30 g melted butter
- For savoury filling: 300 g minced beef or chicken cooked with onion, ginger, paprika, cumin and coriander
- 1 egg white or a flour-water paste, to seal
- Neutral oil, for deep-frying
- 250 g honey warmed with a splash of orange-blossom water (for the sweet version)
Method
- 1
Make the filling
For sweet briouat, knead the ground almonds, icing sugar, cinnamon, orange-blossom water and melted butter into a firm paste and roll into small logs. For savoury, cook and cool the spiced mince.
- 2
Fold triangles
Place a little filling at the end of a pastry strip and fold it over on itself flag-style, corner to corner, all the way up to form a neat triangle. Seal the final flap with egg white or flour paste.
- 3
Fry
Deep-fry in moderately hot oil (about 170°C), turning, until evenly golden and crisp, 2–3 minutes. Don't crowd the pan.
- 4
Finish sweet or savoury
Dip the hot sweet triangles straight into warm honey for a minute so they drink it up, then lift onto a rack. Savoury briouat are served plain and hot.
- 5
Serve
Pile the honey-glazed briouat with scattered sesame seeds; serve savoury ones with a wedge of lemon.
Chef's tips
- Seal the last flap well or the filling leaks and the oil spits.
- Fry at a moderate temperature — too hot and the pastry browns before it crisps through.
- Honey-dip the sweet briouat while both pastry and honey are warm so the syrup soaks in without going gluey.
Frequently asked questions
Can briouat be baked instead of fried?
Yes. Brush with melted butter and bake at 200°C until golden, about 15 minutes. They are a little less shatteringly crisp than fried but much lighter.
Can I freeze briouat?
Fold them and freeze raw on a tray, then bag them. Fry or bake straight from frozen, adding a minute or two.