Baklava

• 200 g Walnuts (shelled)
  Swaps (1)
• 425 g Sugar (400 g for the syrup and 25 g for the filling)
• 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
  Swaps (1)
• 250 g Unsalted Butter
  Swaps (2)
• 500 g Filo Pastry (at room temperature)
• 150 g Pistachio (shelled and unsalted)
• 300 ml Water

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the syrup first, as it needs to be cold by the end: bring 400 g of the sugar to the boil with the water, stirring until it dissolves, then simmer for 10 minutes over a medium heat without stirring. Add the lemon juice, simmer for 2 more minutes and leave to cool completely.

   15 min

2. 2

   Clarify the butter: melt it over a very low heat, skim the foam from the surface and pour the golden fat into a bowl, leaving the milky solids behind in the pan.

   10 min

3. 3

   Chop the walnuts and pistachios with a knife to roughly the size of lentils. Set aside 2 tablespoons of finely chopped pistachio for decoration and mix the rest with the filling sugar.

   10 min

4. 4

   Preheat the oven to 170 °C (conventional). Brush a tin of about 30 x 20 cm with butter. Trim the filo to fit the tin if needed, lay in one sheet, brush it with butter and repeat until you have used half the sheets. Keep the waiting sheets covered with a damp tea towel.

   15 min

5. 5

   Spread the nut filling evenly and cover with the remaining sheets, brushing each one. Brush the top sheet generously.

   10 min

6. 6

   Using a very sharp knife, cut the baklava into diamonds or squares, right down to the bottom, before baking.

   5 min

7. 7

   Bake until deep golden on top and at the sides. If it browns too quickly, lower the oven to 160 °C.

   50 min

8. 8

   As soon as it comes out, slowly pour the cold syrup over it, concentrating on the cuts; it will sizzle. Sprinkle with the reserved pistachio and leave the baklava to rest for at least 4 hours at room temperature, ideally overnight, before serving.