how to cook ouarka

Utensils required for cooking:

- 1 round barbecue, either ¡ron or copper

- 1 tin-plated copper tray specially designed to cook these layers of pastry (tbsil dial ouarka)

Preparation:

Light the charcoal beforehand. Put some lighted embers in the barbecue-the fire should be regularly spaced out and moderately hot, Put the tray on the barbecue, smooth side towards the exterior. Wipe with a slightly oiled cloth and clean in the same way, if necessary, if the pastry sticks to the bottom, Take a little of the dough between the fingers after wetting the hand.

Tap the tray, which is already hot, by lowering and raising the hand regularly. In this way, the elastic dough will be dettly caught as soon as it touches the fray and will leave a fine whitefilm each time, These thin films of dough, stuck together by the reapeated movement of the hand, should form a round layer about 30 to 33cm (approx. 12 to 13) in diameter which is easily detached from the fray by pulling gently towards you.

The layer, cooked on one side only, is placed on a clean cloth, close al hand shiny side up. Begin again until alt the dough is cooked, piting the layers one on top of the other. Always place them, shiny side up, so that they do not stick on each other. It the fire goes down, add more burning charcoal. The tray should be kept at an even heat. When alt the layers are ready, wrap up in a clean cloth and put aside, The preparation of these layers requires special skill which can only be acquired with long practice. It you do not succeed, you can find sorne ready made in shops but they are not nearly so deticate as those made at home.