Topig

This is a more advanced recipe, which yields about four 4oz portions.

Step 1: Create the Dough

Ingredients:

• 8oz tempeh

• 1 (approx. 8oz) russet potato (or other starchy potato), cooked and peeled

• 2 tbsp tahini (best quality you can find)

• Salt to taste

• 2 tsp turmeric

Preparation:

Once cooked through, peel and cube up the potato and cube your tempeh. Pulse in a food processor until a fine paste forms and the dough starts to move into one clump in the food processor. Place in a bowl to rest, covered so that it doesn’t dry out.

Step 2: Build the Filling

Ingredients:

• 2 medium-sized onions, thinly sliced or finely diced

• 1/2 c. tahini

• 1/4 c toasted nuts (pine nuts, pecans, or walnuts)

• 1/3 c currants (golden raisins can be subbed or another dried fruit)

• 1 tsp cumin, cinnamon, allspice

• Zest of 1 lemon

• Some clarified butter (ghee), or olive oil for cooking onions

Preparation:

Cook onions until translucent in clarified butter or olive oil. Add tahini and a splash of water if the tahini is tight. Reduce what’s in the pan by a third. Combine this mixture with your dried fruit and spices in a bowl, and the zest of lemon and a pinch of salt. Pulse in a food process until a nice textured paste is created. You want there to be a balance of textures and not mush.

Step 3: Boiling and Assembly

You’ll need:

• Large Pot of Water (bring to a boil)

• Cheesecloth

• Twine & Scissors

• Scale

Preparation:

Weigh out your dough into four equal pieces, or do this by eye. Have your filling ready and start to flatten one dough ball at a time. You can place your dough on a piece of parchment, and use a rolling pin or flatten with your hands until a 5-6 inches in diameter and 1/4 in thick. Place each circle of dough onto a square of cheesecloth and add your filling into the middle, a little less than the size of a golf ball. You will now work from north to south, using the cheesecloth to pull up the dough to center and pinch the dough together. Now go from east to west to connect the other two sides forming a dome and using the cheesecloth you can smooth out any odd formations and to create a good seal. Twist the cheesecloth and tie off with twine. You have Topig!

Add a few pinches of salt to the water and add your Topig once the water is at a boil. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cook for about 10 minutes. Rest on a plate for 20-30 minutes, then put in your fridge for 6-24hrs.

Step 4: Final dressing

Ingredients:

• 1/4 c Lemon juice

• 1/3 c Olive oil

• Pinch of paprika or aleppo pepper

Preparation:

Combine your lemon and olive oil in a bowl with a whisk. Adjust ingredients to your preferred flavor; you can add more tahini if you would like. Drizzle this over your chilled Topig as you serve. This is to be served cold and can be eaten as a snack or appetizer.