← Nouns Cooking · Greek

Ingredients

• 400 g Sugar
• 300 ml Water
• 1 Cinnamon stick
• 1 Lemon, peel pared in a strip, then juiced
• 1 tbsp Honey (optional)
• 1 l whole milk
• 200 g Sugar
• 150 g fine semolina
• 4 Eggs
• 40 g Butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 450 g filo pastry (about 12 sheets), thawed
• 200 g unsalted butter, melted

Method

1. Make the syrup first: bring the sugar, water, cinnamon and lemon peel to the boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves, and simmer for 5 min. Stir in the honey and 1 tbsp lemon juice and leave to cool completely.
2. Heat the milk with half the sugar in a large saucepan until steaming. Rain in the semolina, whisking constantly, and cook over medium-low heat for 5–8 min, until thick like porridge.
3. Whisk the eggs with the remaining sugar until pale. Whisk a ladle of the hot custard into the eggs, then pour it all back into the pan and stir over low heat for 1 minute. Off the heat, beat in the butter and vanilla. Press cling film onto the surface.
4. Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan, 350°F). Brush a 23 × 33 cm tin with melted butter. Lay in 6 sheets of filo, brushing each with butter and letting them hang over the sides.
5. Spread the custard evenly over the filo and fold the overhanging edges in. Cover with the remaining sheets, buttering each one, and tuck the edges down the sides.
6. Score the top layers into squares with a sharp knife, without cutting into the custard. Sprinkle with a few drops of water and bake for 45–50 min, until deep golden and crisp.
7. Ladle the cold syrup slowly over the hot pie as soon as it leaves the oven; it will sizzle. Leave to cool for at least 2 hours so the custard sets before slicing.

Tips

• Hot pie plus cold syrup (or the other way round) keeps the filo crisp; never pour hot syrup on a hot pie.
• Keep unused filo under a damp tea towel while you work so it does not dry out and crack.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

My Greek Dish Dimitra's Dishes Diane Kochilas