Bourek is the crisp little roll that sits beside the soup on the Algerian Ramadan table, and it vanishes from the plate faster than any other dish on it. The name and the idea are relatives of the burek found from the Balkans to Turkey, and in Algeria they settled into their own form: very thin pastry sheets called dioul, wrapped around a savory filling and fried until golden. In Algiers the classic is the cigar, filled with minced beef, onion, parsley and cumin and bound with egg; in the east of the country you may hear it called brik instead, and fillings run from mashed potato to chicken, shrimp or cheese.

It is street food and party food in equal measure, cheap to make, quick to fry and perfectly shaped for eating with one hand while the other holds a glass. The pastry is the only thing that might be hard to find, and spring roll wrappers do a very respectable impression of it. Squeeze lemon over the top just before you bite, and try to wait until it has cooled for a minute, which almost nobody manages.

The beef filling

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 lb (450 g) ground beef
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 large handful flat leaf parsley
• 1 large egg

Method

1. Heat the oil in the large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring now and then, for 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for 1 minute more.
2. Turn the heat to medium high and add the beef. Break it up with the wooden spoon into small crumbs as it cooks, for 6 to 8 minutes. Sprinkle in the cumin, pepper, cinnamon if using, and salt and stir for 1 minute. If liquid is pooling in the pan, keep cooking until it has evaporated.
3. Spread the meat on a plate and let it cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes. Tip it into the mixing bowl, add the parsley and the beaten egg and mix well with a fork. The raw egg cooks again in the hot oil and holds the filling together.

Rolling the cigars

Ingredients

• 12 round dioul or brick pastry sheets
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) water

Method

1. Stir the flour and water together in the small bowl to make a thick paste. If you have round dioul, stack them and cut the stack straight across the middle with scissors to make 24 half moons, then cover them with the damp towel.
2. Lay one half moon on the board with the straight cut edge nearest you. Spoon a heaped tablespoon of filling in a line about 4 inches (10 cm) long, just above the cut edge, leaving a gap at each end. With spring roll wrappers, lay the square with a flat side toward you and do the same.
3. Fold the straight edge over the filling, then fold in the two sides so the ends are closed. Roll it away from you, keeping it snug, until about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of pastry is left. Brush that last strip with flour paste and finish rolling so it seals. Set it seam side down on the tray and cover with a towel while you roll the rest.

Frying and serving

Ingredients

• about 3 cups (720 ml) neutral oil for frying
• 2 lemons

Method

1. Pour oil into the deep saucepan to a depth of about 1 1/2 inches (4 cm) and clip on the thermometer. Heat over medium until it reaches 350°F (175°C).
2. Lower 5 or 6 cigars into the oil, seam side down first, so they are not crowded. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes, turning them with the slotted spoon so they color evenly. Adjust the heat to keep the oil between 340°F and 360°F (170°C and 180°C).
3. Lift them onto the paper towel lined plate and let them rest for 2 minutes. Fry the remaining batches, letting the oil come back to temperature between each. Serve hot with lemon wedges.

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