I’ve got Greek food on the brain today. Tonight we’re hosting a family dinner party, and we’re serving Lamb Kebabs with Couscous from the cookbook Barefoot Contessa at Home.
I’m a big fan of Ina Garten. I think she’s got incredible style and her recipes are usually a hit. I’ve not made this particular lamb recipe before, so I’m excited to see how it shakes out.
So I’ve been to Phoenicia to pick up tarama (carp roe) for my app, taramasalata. (Love that stuff almost as much as I love alioli.) There will be grilled, skewered tomatoes and a Greek salad too.
Baklava would be the natural choice to end the meal except that it’s a birthday party, and clearly there’s got to be cake. But do enjoy this recipe for baklava. It’s a good one. -alyce eyster
Photo: Fulton Davenport
Melt-in-Your-Mouth Baklava
Author: http://www.culinarythymes.com
Recipe Type: dessert
Prep Time:
Cook Time:
Total Time:
Serves: makes (1) 9 x 11 inch sheet pan of baklava
This version of baklava is made a little bit lighter with the use of butter-flavored cooking oil spray along with the real butter, but it is still deliciously sweet.
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter
- 2 cups milk
- 5 Tblsp semolina
- 1 lb. pistachios, shelled & finely chopped
- butter-flavored cooking oil spray
- 1 lb. phyllo sheets
- Syrup:
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup water
- 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter and carefully ladle the white milk solids off of the top, leaving only the oil in the pan. Set aside
- In another small saucepan, bring the milk to a boil and whisk in the semolina. Stir until the mixture becomes thick and smooth, about 5 minutes.
- Set aside to cool. Once cool, stir ¼ cup of the melted butter and the pistachios, reserving ¼ cup of the chopped nuts to garnish the finished baklava.
- Spray a 9x11 inch jelly roll pan (or cookie sheet with a 1 inch lip) with the cooking oil spray. Unroll the phyllo sheets and divide into 2 equal parts. Cover each with a damp towel to prevent drying out.
- Begin layering the first half of phyllo sheets in the pan, alternating between spraying a sheet with the butter-flavored cooking oil and then brushing the next with the melted butter.
- Once you have used the first half of the phyllo, spread the semolina mixture over the top layer. Begin the same process of layering with the remaining phyllo using the oil and butter. Butter the top layer of phyllo and reserve any remaining butter for later. Neatly trim the edges of the phyllo, cover with plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Using a sharp knife, cut the phyllo into diamond shapes and bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F, brush on the remaining butter and bake for 1 hour until the baklava is deep golden.
- For the syrup, ccombine the sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil and then simmer for 5 minutes. Add the lemon juice and set aside. Place the baklava pan of a griddle or stove top burners on high heat. Once the pan is hot, begin ladling the warm syrup over top, allowing it to sizzle and boil for 3-4 minutes. Set the pan aside to cool. You may have to re-cut the pieces after this step. Sprinkle the reserved pistachios over the top of the baklava. Store loosely covered at room temperature. It is best to let the baklava sit overnight before serving.
Thanks for stopping by. Here's to great food and good thymes! -