Nettle Borek | Black Sea-Style Nettle-Filled Pastry

Put on thick kitchen gloves. Separate the tender top leaves of the nettles from the tough stems, then wash the leaves twice in plenty of water. Keep the gloves on until the nettles have been boiled; touching raw leaves can cause burning for hours. Discard yellowed or flowering leaves, as they are tough and bitter.

Boil the leaves in plenty of water for 5 minutes; this fully deactivates the stinging hairs, after which the greens can be handled by hand. Drain and transfer them to cold water. Then squeeze out the water by the handful and chop finely. The squeezed greens should not drip.

Finely chop the onion and sauté it in oil until softened and lightly golden. Add the chopped nettles and sauté for 4 more minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly, then mix in the crumbled lor cheese, salt, and black pepper. Do not add the lor to the hot filling, or it will release its moisture.

Cut the yufka sheets in half. Place a strip of filling along the wide edge of each half and roll toward the narrow end. Arrange the rolls spaced apart on an oiled baking sheet, seam-side down.

Whisk the milk, oil, and egg, then pour the mixture over the rolls. Bake for 40 minutes in an oven preheated to 190°C / 375°F. The borek is done when the top is deep golden brown and no sauce pools at the bottom when you tilt the pan.