One of my favourite things about holidaying and being in Greece is having fresh kasseropites available almost everywhere. I remember waiting for a ferry to come so we can return from an island to Athens, the sun barely rising and my mum and I racing to the fourno as soon as it opens to have these pites.
So when we came back to Melbourne, the craving for kasseropites was strong, we made and remade them off of different recipes just to have that unique taste of Greece. While they aren’t exactly the same; they are still bites of memories for us and our family!
Ingredients
500ml milk
50g fine semolina
1 teaspoon smoked paprika,
3 eggs
500g kasseri cheese
500g gruyere cheese
Pepper, a generous amount
1 tablespoon baking powder
250ml olive oil, for brushing phyllo + extra for serving
600g fresh phyllo dough sheet
Sesame seeds, for sprinkling
Fresh oregano for serving
Method
For the filling
1. Preheat oven to 180* C (350* F) Fan.
2. Place a pot over low heat. Add the milk and let it come to a boil.
3. As soon as it does, add the semolina and paprika.
4. Whisk continuously for 2-3 minutes, until the mixture thickens.
5. You are making a semolina béchamel sauce that will add body to the filling.
6. When it is thick and creamy, remove from heat and set it aside for 2-3 minutes so it can cool.
7. Add the eggs and whisk until completely incorporated.
8. Add the grated Kasseri, grated gruyere and a generous amount of freshly ground pepper. Stir with a wooden spoon until the cheese melts and the mixture is creamy.
9. Let the mixture cool a little more and then add the baking powder. Stir and set aside until needed.
For the pita
1. Generously brush a 35×40 cm baking pan with olive oil.
2. Place 1 sheet of phyllo dough in to the pan. Place it in the middle of the pan and laying it out towards the edge, making sure the sides are covered also.
3. Place another sheet in the pan, in exactly the same way but in the other direction, so that the bottom of the pan is completely covered.
4. Drizzle with olive oil. Do not brush the phyllo making direct contact with the pastry brush.
5. Lay out half of the sheets of phyllo over them, drizzling each one with olive oil to create the bottom crust. Reserve 3 sheets for the top crust.
6. Spread the filling evenly over the bottom crust, smoothing the surface nicely.
7. You can sprinkle your choice of herbs over it.
8. Lay out the remaining phyllo sheets over the filling. Add them one at a time and drizzle each one with olive oil in the same manner as before.
9. Fold the edges inward and brush the whole surface with olive oil, using up all of the remaining olive oil.
10. Score in to 12 pieces. If you are having difficulty in doing this, refrigerate for 10 minutes so it can cool, making it easier to cut.
11. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
12. Place on the highest rack in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes , until golden and crunchy.
13. When ready, remove from oven.
14. Set it aside to cool for 10 minutes before cutting in to pieces.
15. You can store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
16. Drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle with some fresh oregano, freshly ground pepper and serve!
