Author Notes
Golden, flaky layers of buttered puff pastry give in and reveal a smooth savory secret: a mixture of mild feta cheese, eggs and freshly ground black pepper. Cheese Pie (tiropita) is a typical Greek snack that people eat for breakfast, as side for lunch and dinner. There are thousands of variations of Greek tiropita as cooks and housewives compete for the best and richest in cheese and eggs savory and where talent is needed for the X fyllo-pastry variations made from scratch. Not my cup of tea. For me it has to go fast and be as light as possible without compromises in taste and texture.
My own version of cheese pie came out one summer afternoon when friends were coming in and time was short. Instead of having to butter 10-15 fyllo sheets and bake a big pan, I decide to spread my 3-ingredient filling into a pastry roll, into a Feta Cheese Strudel with Puff Pastry and put it in the often.
As the pastry sheet gives only 8 pieces, I normally bake two strudels when more hungry mouths are around the table.
Feta cheese Strudel makes also a light vegetarian lunch or dinner served with a green salad.
It can be made ahead, put in the deep freeze, but needs at least one hour outside before baking.
—Cookingly Yours
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Ingredients
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1
sheet puff pastry or crust pastry or pie-crust (33×44cm or 12.99?x17.3?)
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1.5 cups
feta cheese (250gr)
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1
egg and 1 egg yolk
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black pepper
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10gr
butter
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1 tablespoon
water
Directions
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Preheat oven at 190 C or 380 F.
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Unfold the pastry sheet and lay it on a tray covered with baking sheet and spread in 8 equal pieces the butter.
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In a bowl crumble the feta cheese with a fork, add the whole egg and black pepper and mix well.
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Spread the cheese mixture on the pastry 8 cm (3 inches) from the left or right edge lengthwise.
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Fold the 8-cm-long pastry sheet over the cheese mixture, fold the roll two more times, flip it so that the seam is on the upper side and press together the edges on top and bottom of the roll.
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Slightly curve the upper side with a knife into 8 slices, but not down to the bottom. . When ready, cut immediately the slices down to the bottom.
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In a cup blend egg yolk with 1 tbsp cold water and brush with it the strudel.
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Place the tray in the preheated oven, second rail from the bottom for 45 minutes or until golden.
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Do not open the oven before 20 minutes otherwise the pastry will set.
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When ready, take the tray from the oven and cut the slices down to the bottom.
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We eat it lukewarm.
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