Vertuta with pumpkin and feta cheese
6 servings
120 minutes
Vertuta with pumpkin and bryndza is a traditional dish of Moldovan cuisine that delights with its delicacy and harmony of flavors. Its roots go deep into the history of Moldovan baking, where stretched dough became a symbol of mastery. The crispy golden crust hides a tender filling of sweet pumpkin caramelized with brandy and salty bryndza. This contrast makes vertuta multifaceted: it is both sweet and savory, airy and rich. This dish is perfect for a cozy family dinner or a festive table, and its aroma can fill the home with warmth and hospitality. Vertuta is especially good when paired with a cup of fragrant tea or a glass of white wine that highlights its delicate texture and rich flavor nuances.
1
Pour flour into a bowl, crack an egg, and add 1/2 cup of warm water. Add 2 tablespoons of melted butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil, along with a bit of salt and sugar. Knead the dough (knead until it becomes a firm, soft, pleasant-to-touch ball). The dough should not be too stiff, otherwise, the vertuta will be tough.
- Wheat flour: 250 g
- Water: 150 ml
- Butter: 100 g
- Olive oil: 70 ml
- Chicken egg: 1 piece
- Salt: to taste
- Sugar: 2 teaspoons
2
The most important stage is to properly beat the dough so that it stretches well later (the so-called stretching dough). The most effective way is to throw the dough onto the cutting surface with all your might, alternating between your right and left hands. The procedure takes about 10 minutes.
3
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest for 40 minutes.
4
Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Cut the pumpkin (preferably a sweet variety, but any other will do) into medium cubes. Sauté the pumpkin in a mixture of butter and olive oil in a pan for about 10 minutes.
- Pumpkin: 600 g
- Butter: 100 g
- Olive oil: 70 ml
5
Pour 50 grams of brandy into the pan with pumpkin, sprinkle with sugar, add salt and pepper. Simmer until soft and the alcohol evaporates for about 10 more minutes.
- Brandy: 50 ml
- Sugar: 2 teaspoons
- Salt: to taste
- Ground black pepper: to taste
6
Remove the pumpkin from the fire, mash it into puree. Grate the cheese and add it to the pumpkin, mix well.
- Feta cheese: 150 g
7
Return to the dough. Spread a large kitchen towel or any suitable cloth on the table and sprinkle with flour. Place the dough on the towel and roll it out as thinly as possible.
8
The second most important step is to stretch the dough from the center to the edges until it becomes very thin (ideally, standard-sized newspaper/book text should be easily readable through it). Carefully distribute the filling over the stretched dough.
9
Lift the edge of the towel closer to you and make the first turn of the roll. Then, holding the towel by the sides, slowly pull it towards you, thus rolling the roll. Roll the resulting roll into a spiral, like a snail, and coat it with melted butter.
- Butter: 100 g
10
Wrap the vertuta in foil and send it to a preheated oven at 200 degrees. Bake for 25 minutes in foil and 20 minutes uncovered.