MEMBER RECIPE
Fried Saganaki Recipe
By noahbites
Difficulty: Easy |
Total Time:
20 minutes
|
Active Time:
|
Makes:
2+
A simple fried cheese appetizer, as taught to me by the chefs at Nikos Turbo Service on the Greek island of Folegandros
INGREDIENTS
- 1 wedge or block of Kaseri cheese (for those in Los Angeles, it is available at Bay Cities Italian Deli)
- 1/2 cup of flour
- 1-2 eggs (depending on how much cheese you want to fry)
- Sunflower oil (vegetable oil would work fine as well)
- 1-2 Lemons
- 3 sprigs of Italian parsley, washed, dried and finely chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
- Pour some flour onto a plate. The amount doesn’t matter, since it’s for dredging— so just use enough to coat the bottom of the plate. If you need more, just pour more.
- Crack an egg, beat it, then pour it on another plate. Once again, if you end up needing more, just repeat this step.
- Depending on what shape the cheese is when you buy it, you’ll want to cut it differently. But basically, you want a piece that is roughly 1/4”-1/2” thick. At the taverna it is usually one large square, but it’s hard to find kaseri in shapes other than wedges, so I usually end up cutting big triangles.
- In a medium pan or iron skillet, pour enough oil to fill the pan up about 1/4”-1/2”.
- Bring the pan over a medium heat.
- Dredge both sides of your cheese in egg, then flower, then egg again, then flour again. That’s right. You’re double breading it. So that’s egg, flour, egg, flour.
- Carefully lay the dredged cheese into the pan. If you have a big pan and your cheese pieces aren’t too big, you can fry two at a time.
- (Basic cooking technique will tell you that you want the oil hot enough so that when you place the object inside the oil, it will bubble immediately, but not be so high that it burns. That is certainly true, but at Nikos Turbo Service, they actually put the cheese in the oil and then turn the heat on. Is it the way you would be taught in cooking school? No. But I’ll tell you it comes out damn fine this way too.)
- Once it’s bubbling, you want to leave it be for a minute, then check the bottom. Once it is turning golden brown and crispy, you can turn it over and start to fry the other side.
- (The nice thing about frying cheese is that all that matters is the crust. With meat, you have to worry that the food is cooked properly inside. With cheese, once the outside is crispy, the inside will be gooey.)
- Once both sides are golden and you have a crumbly, crispy crust, you can lay it on the paper towel lined plate.
- Transfer the fried cheese to a clean plate and sprinkle a little chopped parsley on top.
- Serve with a halved lemon and instruct yourself or your guests to squeeze its juice over the top. Like anything fried, it is best consumed soon after preparation
- Eat and enjoy.
Member recipes are not tested by the CHOW food team.
never had it with parsley either. i grew up in a chicago-greek family, and we just had the cheese coated with flour (no egg) fried in oil with the lemon juice and liquor added toward the end. the recommendation above to partially freeze the cheese is a good one. i couldn't eat enough of the stuff with crusty baguettes. oh i'm drooling just thinking about it.
For another healthier without the egg recipe is to make your own dough with flour and water and half teaspoon baking pwder. You can use Asiago or Edam or feta.
Enjoy either way
I am greek so trust me on this.
1-Fontina is a good substitute for kaseri if you can't find it. Very close in taste and easy to find.
2-Throw the cheese in the freezer for 15-20 minutes before you cook it so it doesn't melt easily on you.
3-Make sure you carmelize the outer layer nicely. This is the make or break factor.
4-When it is done take a brandy (like Christian brothers) and depending...+READ
I am greek so trust me on this.
1-Fontina is a good substitute for kaseri if you can't find it. Very close in taste and easy to find.
2-Throw the cheese in the freezer for 15-20 minutes before you cook it so it doesn't melt easily on you.
3-Make sure you carmelize the outer layer nicely. This is the make or break factor.
4-When it is done take a brandy (like Christian brothers) and depending on the serving size (up to a shot for something the size of 2 decks of playing cards) and pour it on top and light it. Let the flame go for about 5 seconds and put it out with lemon. The reason you let it burn a little is because you want to make sure you burn the alcohol off.
5- don't put parsley on this. you don't want to take away from the cheese and reduced brandy and lemon. 6. you won't be putting this on a paper towel to let the grease soak off. You are going to be adding brandy and lemon to this. Plus you are eating fried cheese there is nothing healthy about this to begin with. 7. I lived in greece for almost 5 years and never saw it in a restaurant or had it at someone's home.. haha weird huh.-COLLAPSE
I cant type on a lap top to save myself and am lost without spell check a thousand times sorry
try it like this as well
Cooking Fetta
seasoned Corn flour
Olive oil
rosemary
garlic
slice cooking fetta inot 1 inch slices
dust with corn flour twice i.e. dust once then allow to sit and dust again
slowly heat oilve oil in a heavy pan with peelked gatrlic glove and sprig of rosemary once garlic starts to sizzle remove along with rosemary from oil and place in a warmed...+READ
try it like this as well
Cooking Fetta
seasoned Corn flour
Olive oil
rosemary
garlic
slice cooking fetta inot 1 inch slices
dust with corn flour twice i.e. dust once then allow to sit and dust again
slowly heat oilve oil in a heavy pan with peelked gatrlic glove and sprig of rosemary once garlic starts to sizzle remove along with rosemary from oil and place in a warmed shallow soup bowl (bowl/plate) and pan fry the cheese cook untill crispy and golden and turn and complete as such then remove from the pan and place in nowl with garlic etc and drizzle the cooking oil over serve with crusty bread it is realy good
These are cooked as individual portions and suit dinner starters if your doing informal as I tend to its one at a time and just as its ready to many in a pan and it loses its heat etc-COLLAPSE
Here is the restaurant review that led me to post this recipe:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/566989