Kali Orexi Melbourne shares a traditional platseda recipe from Kalloni, on the island of Lesvos. A texture and taste sensation, Maria’s platseda are crisp, sweet and nutty, and the orange blossom essence makes them intoxicatingly aromatic.

Watch the video at the end of this post for more details!

Ingredients (for approximately 50 pieces):

2 cups plain flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm water
extra plain flour for dusting
canola oil for frying
For the glaze
2 cups honey
2 cups caster sugar
1 cup water
3 tablespoons orange blossom water
For the coating
300g blanched almonds, finely ground

Method:

1. Dissolve the salt in the warm water.
2. Combine the plain flour and olive oil in a mixing bowl. Slowly add the water mixture to the flour mixture, using a fork to mix the ingredients as you go. When the mixtures have combined, use your hands to work the mixture into a dough. Knead the dough in the bowl for a few minutes, then transfer to a small bowl, cover it with a tea towel and allow it to rest for 10 minutes.
3. After 10 minutes, divide the dough into two halves and place one half aside.
4. Flour your work surface. Use your hands to form a round disc with the dough. Place the dough-disc on the floured work surface, lightly dust it with flour and roll it out with a long, thin rolling pin. Dust the flattened dough-disc with flour and wrap it fairly tightly around the rolling pin. Using your hands and a rolling action, gently press downwards and outwards on the dough to stretch it out. Unravel the filo sheet from the rolling pin and rotate the filo sheet 90 degrees on the work surface. Lightly dust the filo sheet with flour, wrap it tightly around the rolling pin again and use your hands and a rolling action, to gently press downwards and outwards on the dough to stretch it out once more. Repeat this process until the sheet is quite large, approximately 60-70cm in diameter.
5. Cut the filo sheet into strips, approximately 10-12cm wide. Cut each strip into 10-12cm lengths to form square/rectangular pieces. Pick up one piece and gently stretch it out, both widthways and lengthways, with your hands. Place the filo piece back on the work surface and score it widthways five times, with approximately 1.5cm between each score, without cutting to the ends. Scrunch up the ends with your fingers. Pick up each end and stretch and shake the filo piece a little, before folding it over itself and pinching the two scrunched ends together. Place the platseda aside. Repeat for the remaining filo pieces.
6. Repeat the whole process for the other half of the dough and start frying.
7. Half fill a small baking dish or pot with canola oil and heat it on a medium to high flame. Once the oil is hot and ready for frying, pick up a platseda from the pinched end and gently lower it into the hot oil.
8. Use a fork to gently agitate and loosen the platseda pastry ribbons. Repeat until the baking dish is half full with platseda. When one side has cooked, carefully turn them over.
9. Fry the platseda until their colour just turns from white to cream and the filo forms little bubbles on it. The platseda are ready when you press a fork against them and they feel firm. When ready, transfer to a colander to drain. Repeat until all of the platseda have been fried.
10. Glaze the platseda. Combine and mix the honey, sugar, water and orange blossom water in a medium-sized pot. Place the pot on a high flame and heat for 5-10 minutes until it comes to a boil. Skim off any scum that forms at the top of the mixture. Reduce the syrup to a simmer.
11. Carefully place a few platseda in the syrup and soak them for about 30 seconds, turning them over to coat both sides. Remove and place them aside. Repeat until all of the platseda have been glazed.
12. Coat the platseda. Place the glazed platseda in the almond meal, coating one side and then the other, and sprinkling some of the almond meal on the harder to reach spots, with your fingers.
Once coated with almond meal, your platseda are ready to serve and enjoy!

*Note: Greek rolling pins are made from curtain dowel that you can purchase readily from your local hardware store. Maria’s rolling pin was 75cm in length and 2.5cm in diameter.

For more, go to www.kali-orexi.com.au