Author Notes
I love Greek food and I love cheese and pastry.I came across this recipe in Vefa's Kitchen and made it my own wishing I was Greek myself. Kataifi pastry is shredded filo and can feel overwhelming at first glance, but found it quite forgiving to work with and its delicate nature transfers into a delicate nature of the dish. You can make it ahead of time and even freeze, making it a perfect dish to for guests. I think that what makes this dish over the top is a squeeze of fresh lemon on top right before you eat it. When it is room temperature, it pops right out of the baking dish. I have cut it up in wedges and taken it with me for some food on the run. You can take out some of the cheese and replace it with ham or bacon as well. I have also thrown in some fresh thyme leaves. It really can take on whatever tone you would like. —MyCommunalTable
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Ingredients
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4 tablespoons
butter, plus extra for greasing dish
-
4
eggs
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fresh cracked pepper
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Pinch
salt
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7 ounces
feta cheese, crumbled
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1 1/2 cups
kaseri or gruyere cheese, grated
-
11 ounces
kataifi pastry
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4 tablespoons
vegetable oil
-
2/3 cup
milk
-
2/3 cup
heavy cream
-
1
lemon, cut in wedges, to serve with each serving
Directions
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Butter an ovenproof dish.
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Beat 2 of the eggs in a bowl, season with pepper, then stir in the cheese. Set this filling aside until ready to use in pastry.
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Tease out the kataifi pastry into 20-25 long strand sections. Keep pastry covered with a damp towel to keep them moist.
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Take one section of kataifi and pat it down gently. Place about one tablespoon of cheese mixture at one end of pastry and roll up and then place in baking dish. Continue until cheese mixture is rolled up and dish is filled.
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Heat butter and corn oil together and pour about teaspoon over each roll. At this point, you can wrap and put in freezer or place in refrigerator for about 24 hours.
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One hour before baking, beat together milk, cream and remaining 2 eggs. Season with pepper. Pour over cheese rolls and let sit for about 1 hour or until liquid is absorbed.
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Bake in preheated 350F oven for about 35-45 minutes. You want it golden brown and the egg cooked. Serve immediately with a wedge of lemon to be squeezed on the top before eating.
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