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My Big Fat Greek Cookbook

Show
Breakfast with Barr,
Presenter
Peter Barr
Published
Wednesday 18th November

So, what are you cooking for dinner tonight?

How about some spicy ouzo keftedes or filo pizza with lamb

What’s that? You don’t know how to cook Greek food?
Well we are here to help.

Maria Benardis has been cooking practically all her life, including a stint at the Neil Perry restaurant XO.

She’s just released a book, called My Greek Family Table, featuring childhood stories, family secret recipes and family photos; it’s the perfect guide to your Greek themed dinner party.

Maria and our cooking expert Luke Bolton joined Peter this morning to talk all things greek.  

Transcript

Baklava

200 g finely chopped almonds
200 g finely chopped walnuts
3 tablespoons breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons castor sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1-2 teaspoons ground cloves
200 g unsalted butter, melted
20 sheets filo pastry
375 g thyme-infused honey

Preheat the oven to 160C.

Combine the nuts, breadcrumbs, sugar and spices in a bowl and mix well.

Brush a baking dish with melted butter and line the base with two sheets of filo pastry. Brush generously with butter. Top with two more sheets of pastry and brush again. Repeat with another two sheets of pastry (cover the remaining sheets with a towel to prevent them drying out).

Sprinkle some of the nut mixture and brush the top sheet generously with butter. Continue layering until you are left with four sheets of filo on the top. Brush lightly with the remaining butter.

Score the top layer of pastry into 12 diamond or square pieces. Sprinkle with a little water and bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown.

About 10 minutes before the baklava is due to come our of the oven, place the honey in a small saucepan over medium heat. When it just begins to simmer take the pan off the heat and allow the honey to cool for 5 minutes.

Pour the honey syrup evenly over the baklava, then leave to stand for at least 15 minutes so the pastry soaks up the syrup. Cut into pieces and serve.

Makes 12 pieces