Saganaki is cheese sauteed in butter or olive oil, an irresistible classic Greek meze and taverna special. Learn to make it by following Diane's easy recipe. Make sure to serve a fresh Greek salad with this. Serve saganaki at the start of a meal as a meze or appetizer. Squeeze antioxidant-filled lemons over it to counter the fattiness. ½ pound kefalotyri cheese or any hard, yellow Greek cheese, even feta and haloumi cheese Warm water All-purpose flour, as needed Pepper, to taste (optional) ¼ cup olive oil or butter 2 lemon wedges for garnish 1. Cut the cheese into a square, about 4X4 inches (10X10 cm) and 1 -- 1 ½ inches (3-4 cm) thick. 2. Dip the cheese in a bowl of warm water. 3. Dredge the cheese in flour (seasoned with pepper, if desired) on both sides. Dip in warm water again. 4. Heat olive oil or butter over medium heat almost to the smoking point and add the cheese. Flip to pan-fry on the other side as well, until golden brown. 5. Serve hot with lemon wedges on the side. Saganaki dishes take their name from the pan in which they are made. A sagani is a two-handled round pan that is made in many different materials. In the market, look for a small paella pan, small cast iron skillet, or even an oval au gratin dish. Serve this as an appetizer, as an hors d'oeuvre, or as part of a meal made up of a varied selection of mezethes. The key to success with this dish is to get the oil hot (before it starts to smoke) before frying. Saganaki (Greek σαγανάκι)(meaning flaming cheese, sometimes translated as fried cheese) is a salty and aromatic cheese-based Greek appetizer of fried or grilled cheese. The cheese used is usually Kefalograviera, Kasseri, Kefalotyri, or sheep milk Feta cheese. Regional variations include the use of Formaella cheese in Arachova and Halloumi cheese in Cyprus. Related saganaki recipes include shrimp saganaki (Greek γαρίδες σαγανάκι) and mussels saganaki (Greek μύδια σαγανάκι), which are typically Feta-based and include a spicy tomato sauce. In some United States and Canadian restaurants, after being fried, it is flambéed at the table (typically with a shout of "opa!") and the flames then extinguished with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. This practice reportedly originated in the 1960s at The Parthenon restaurant in Chicago's Greektown This is the Greek Food Channel http://www.dianekochilas.com/ Come to visit Diane and Vassili at their GLORIOUS GREEK KITCHEN COOKING SCHOOL (Ikaria). They run cooking classes and organize culinary tours in Greece for recreational and professional cooks. They also own DV FOOD ARTS CONSULTING, a food marketing company that produces specialty books and other food-and-wine-related literature for a wide variety of clients and independently for the tourist and other markets. Diane consults on Greek cuisine for restaurants, retail outlets and producers of fine Greek foods. Vassilis Stenos (photographer) offers an extensive archive of food and travel photographs of Greece. Diane Kochilas is an internationally known food writer, cookbook author, culinary teacher, food consultant and food "guru". She has more than 20 years' experience in the Greek kitchen. Diane divides her time between Athens, Ikaria, and New York. She is the consulting chef at Pylos, one of New York's top-rated Greek restaurants as well as consulting chef at Avli Restaurant in Chicago. She writes frequently for the US food press and appears regularly on American television. Her articles have appeared in The New York Times, Gourmet, Saveur, Food & Wine, Eating Well and in other food and general-interest publications. In Athens, she is the weekly food columnist and restaurant critic for Ta Nea, the country's largest newspaper. She has written 19 books on Greek and Mediterranean cuisine, including the award-winning The Glorious Foods of Greece. Her books include: The Food and Wine of Greece, The Greek Vegetarian, The Glorious Foods of Greece, Meze, Against the Grain (good carbs), Mediterranean Grilling, Mastiha Cuisine, The Northern Greek Wine Roads Cookbook, and Aegean Cuisine (see below). She is also a consultant for Hellenic Gourmet, the duty free food shops at the Venizelos International Airport and around Greece, to help upgrade the store's selection and source product. Her knowledge of Greek regional foods, wines, and culinary lore is extensive.

• published: 01 Dec 2008
• views: 79020