Chicken and Feta Arayes

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F, with racks in the upper and lower thirds. Line two 40 × 30 cm baking trays with baking paper. Prepare the filling and bread while the oven heats.

2. 2

   Use pocket pitas approximately 18 cm across and 70 g each. Cut each pita in half and gently open the pockets. Finely chop the onion, mince the garlic and crumble the feta.

3. 3

   In a bowl, combine the raw ground chicken, feta, onion, garlic, cumin, paprika, salt and black pepper. Mix just until evenly distributed.

4. 4

   Divide the filling between the eight pita halves, using approximately 90 g per half. Spread it evenly throughout each pocket in a layer no thicker than 1 cm.

5. 5

   Brush both sides of the stuffed pitas with all the olive oil. Arrange four halves on each prepared tray in a single layer, leaving space between them.

6. 6

   Bake for 22–27 minutes, turning the pockets over and swapping the trays between racks after 12 minutes. Insert an instant-read thermometer through the open edge into the thickest part of each filling: the chicken must reach 74°C/165°F. If the bread browns before the filling is cooked, cover loosely with foil and continue baking until it reaches that temperature.

7. 7

   Let the arayes rest for 3 minutes, then serve two stuffed pita halves per person.