Levantine cuisine · Desserts & Sweets

Ish el Bulbul

Little kadayif nests with a pistachio core, baked golden and soaked in cold syrup.

Ingredients · for 8 servings

• 400 g kadayif pastry strands
• 200 g butter
• 250 g pistachios
• 350 g sugar
• 200 ml water
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp orange blossom water
• 1 pinch salt

Instructions

1. Bring the sugar, water and lemon juice to a boil and simmer uncovered for 10 min. until the syrup is lightly thick; stir in the orange blossom water and chill the syrup.
2. Melt the butter, pull apart the kadayif strands and mix thoroughly with the butter and a pinch of salt until evenly coated.
3. Twist a small handful of strands into a rope and wind it around two fingers into a ring about 6 cm across, tuck the end under and set the nest in a buttered dish.
4. Press 1 tsp coarsely chopped pistachios into the center of each nest and gently reshape the edges so they don't spring open while baking.
5. Bake in the oven preheated to 180 °C for 25–30 min. until the nests are golden and crisp all over.
6. Pour the cold syrup immediately over the hot nests, let steep for 1 hr. and serve sprinkled with the remaining chopped pistachios.