Saganaki {Fried Cheese}

 

I watched a cooking show one time where someone enjoyed a dish of fried feta cheese with some rustic bread for slathering all while setting outdoors on a cliff side in Greece overlooking the Aegean Sea. The scene seemed ideal and it has stuck with me over the years.

So, today I am lightly breading and lightly frying some feta cheese in my Kentucky kitchen. I'm having visions of Greece while I do it and that's about as close as I'll get for the time being.

If you're a feta cheese lover, then this recipe is for you. All you need is a nice block of cheese, 1 egg, a little flour and some oil. Simply dip the cheese in the beaten egg, dust with flour, and fry in oil until warm, melty, and golden brown.

I won't lie. It is a little tricky to fry cheese, especially when it comes to flipping the cheese over, etc. However, just go low and slow and take your time. I fried my cheese very low for about 5 minutes on each side, letting the oil bubble up on the sides, pushing the oil around the sides with a silicone spatula.

The cheese is really good on crackers or slathered on bread. I liked the fried cheese plain, but I think it would be even better with some fresh tomatoes or sun-dried tomatoes.

I will definitely be making this again and again!

Saganaki

{Fried Cheese}

Adapted from Food From Many Greek Kitchens

by Tessa Kiros

Serves 4

light olive oil, for frying

1 egg, lightly beaten

all-purpose flour, for coating

4-1/4-ounce 3/4" thick slice feta cheese, or kasseri-style, talagani cheese

lemon quarters, for serving

Pour the olive oil into a small non-stick skillet to a depth of roughly 1/2".

Put the egg in one flat bowl and the flour in another. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until a cube of bread dropped in the oil browns in 15 seconds. 

Dip the cheese slice in the egg, then pat it in the flour to coat well. Put the slice into the oil and fry until golden on both sides. Splash its sides with oil to make sure that they are fried golden, too. The cheese must be crisp on the outside and softened on the inside. When done, remove the cheese from the pan with tongs an drain on paper towels. Serve hot, cut up into squares and with lemon juice squeezed over the top. If serving in the pan, remove the cheese, pour away the oil, wipe the pan with a paper towel, return the cheese to the pan and squeeze some lemon over.

Seaside Escape @ IHCC