Equipment
Ingredients
Filling
- 150 g cured spicy chorizo, casing removed and finely diced
- 250 g butternut squash, peeled, deseeded, and finely diced into 5mm cubes
- 1 yellow onion, finely minced
- 50 g feta cheese, crumbled
Pastry
- 200 g filo pastry sheets, thawed if frozen
- 60 g unsalted butter, melted
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 166 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbohydrates
- 12 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 1 g
- Sodium
- 130 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 3 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Cholesterol
- 14 mg
- Potassium
- 115 mg
- Calcium
- 35 mg
- Iron
- 0.8 mg
- Magnesium
- 11 mg
- Phosphorus
- 42 mg
- Zinc
- 0.4 mg
- Vitamin A
- 150 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 5 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.0 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.4 mg
- Vitamin K
- 1 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.12 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.10 mg
- Niacin
- 1.0 mg
- Folate
- 23 mcg
- Water
- 34 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the finely diced chorizo and saute for 3 to 4 minutes until the red oils release and the edges begin to crisp.
Add the minced onion and diced butternut squash directly to the rendered chorizo oil in the skillet. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the squash is tender and caramelized.
Transfer the squash and chorizo mixture to a mixing bowl and allow it to cool to room temperature. Once cool, gently stir in the crumbled feta cheese if using.
Lay one sheet of filo pastry flat on a clean cutting board and brush lightly with melted butter. Top with a second sheet and brush again. Cut the layered pastry lengthwise into three even strips.
Place a heaped tablespoon of the cooled filling at the bottom end of each pastry strip. Fold the bottom right corner over the filling to meet the left edge, forming a triangle. Continue folding the triangle up the strip, flag-style, until reaching the end.
Place the assembled parcels seam-side down on the prepared baking sheet. Lightly brush the tops with remaining melted butter. Bake in the preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes until deeply golden brown and crisp.
Chef's Notes
- Dicing the squash into uniform 5 millimeter cubes is essential to ensure it cooks at the same rate as the chorizo and fits neatly inside the delicate pastry triangles.
- Do not add extra salt to the filling mixture during cooking. The cured chorizo and feta cheese naturally carry a high sodium content that seasons the squash perfectly.
- For the crispiest results, use clarified butter (ghee) instead of standard melted butter for brushing. The absence of water in clarified butter prevents steam from softening the pastry layers.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container lined with paper towels.
Freezer: 1 month — Freeze unbaked parcels in a single layer before transferring to a container.
Reheating: Reheat in an oven at 180C/350F for 8 to 10 minutes to restore crispness. Do not microwave.
Troubleshooting
Filo pastry cracks or shatters during the folding process
Cause: The delicate pastry dried out from exposure to the air
Fix: Patch minor cracks by brushing with extra melted butter and layering a small scrap of fresh filo over the tear
Prevention: Always keep unused filo sheets covered with a slightly damp kitchen towel while working on individual sheets
The bottom of the pastry parcel is soggy after baking
Cause: Filling was too hot when assembled, or too much oil was transferred from the skillet
Fix: Return to the oven on the bottom rack for an additional 3 to 5 minutes
Prevention: Ensure filling is completely cool before assembling, and drain excess fat if the chorizo rendered too much oil
Cultural Context
This appetizer fuses the rich, paprika-laced traditions of Spanish charcuterie with Middle Eastern and Mediterranean pastry techniques. The combination of sweet winter squash and spicy cured pork encased in thin dough reflects a modern, borderless approach to tapas and meze culture.
