«Αβκωτές» Πηγή: http://www.rizokarpason.com/sintages1.htm
Cypriot Easter delicacy. "On the circumference of the pastry sheet, put two strips of dough. Place about a handful of the filling in the "case" and the egg in the middle of it... " (Kyriakos Zografou, Paphos).
Name - Recipe
Koulouri bread in the shape of an egg case, with a red egg in the centre.
For the pastry sheet:
3.8kg (3 okas) of goat's milk
1 liter of vegetable oil
6kg of flour
1⁄2 bag of aniseed
For the filling:
10kg of cheese (goat halloumi and cheese)
1 anari grated
90 eggs
mahleb
mastic
spearmint
nutmeg
vanilla
1kg sesame seeds
For the dough using sourdough:
1kg of flour
water
For the dough using sourdough: use a piece of small sourdough that you saved from before (≈250 grams) and renew it. Heat about half a cup of water and pour it into the sourdough. Add enough flour for a loaf of bread, or as much as needed, and knead. Leave it aside to proof until the following day. The dough is ready. In order to make one avkoti, roll out a pastry sheet (using a rolling pin) and cut it out in the size of a small plate (round). Touch the bottom of the pastry sheet on a bed of sesame seeds and aniseed (just for them to stick to the dough). Roll out two strips of dough and place them on the circumference of the pastry sheet. Place about a handful of the filling inside the dough and place an egg in the middle. Use two more thicker strips of dough to form a cross on the top (or any other shape you want). Continue with the rest of the avkotes (pl. for avkoti) using the same method. Place the avkotes in the oven until the dough is golden brown (30-40 minutes).
Wood-fired oven: put wood in the oven and light it until the opening turns white. Pull the charcoal out using the peel, wipe the oven clean and bake (place the avkotes in the oven).
Eggs need to be boiled and dyed before using them to prepare avkotes.
Functional and symbolic role
Avkotes were occasionally consumed during the Easter festivities (note: Stalo Lazarou).
Avkotes were prepared during Easter.
Additional information and bibliography
Yangoullis K. G. (2009), Thesaurus of the Cypriot Dialect. Interpretative, Etymological, Phraseological and Nomenclatural Dictionary of the Medieval and Modern Cypriot Dialect, Library of Cypriot Folk Poets,70, Theopress Publications, Nicosia. Oral testimony: Kyriakos Zografou, 44 years old, Paphos. Recording: Elena Savva, October 2010.
Stalo Lazarou, Elena Savva / Marina Constantinou, Argyro Xenophontos.
Πασχαλινές αρτοδημιουργίες (αυκωτές, καλαθάκια, τα χέρια του νυμφίου, τσαντούλες, πασχαλινά σταυροκούλουρα, βάτραχος), Λεμεσός 12/4/14. Πηγή: Μαίρη Νεοφύτου.
Τα υλικά για τις αυκωτές. Πηγή: Ιστοσελίδα Facebook.
Η ζύμη. Πηγή: Ιστοσελίδα Facebook.
Ζυμάρι για πλάσιμο των αυκωτών. Πηγή: Ιστοσελίδα Facebook.
Το πλάσιμο των κουλουριών. Πηγή: Ιστοσελίδα Facebook.
Σχηματίζοντας τις αυκωτές. Πηγή: Ιστοσελίδα Facebook.
Μικρές αυκωτές. Πηγή: Ιστοσελίδα Facebook.
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