Zambousses

Serves 6

½ kg country-style flour
100 ml sunflower oil
1 pinch salt
300 ml water (approx. amount depending on flour absorbability)
Sunflower oil for frying purposes
For the filling:
1 bundle finely chopped fennel
5 tbsp olive oil
1 pinch salt
2 glasses round grain rice
1 L water
2 glasses sugar

In a mixer bowl add the flour, salt, and sunflower oil. Mix well until dough appears crumbly. Add the water. Using your mixer’s dough hook attachment, knead the dough until it comes away from the walls of the mixer bowl. Shape the dough into a ball with your hands. Wrap in cling film and let it rest refrigerated for 20 min.
In the meantime, make the filling for the zambousses. Heat the olive oil in a pot and add the fennel, rice, and salt, stirring well. Add the water and bring to a boil. Turn heat to low and let rice simmer for 5 min. Add the sugar and stir again. Let rice simmer and absorb its liquids. Once it is ready, let it stand for a while until cool.
Remove dough from refrigerator. Divide into smaller balls. Using a rolling pin, flatten out each smaller ball into rounds about 20 cm in diameter. Place 1 tbsp filling on one half of each round. Fold the other half over the filling and pinch edges together to seal. Heat 2-3 fingers of sunflower oil in a large, nonstick pan over high heat. Fry the zambousses for a total of 4-5 min on both sides. Serve warm sprinkled with icing sugar.