Sweet or Savoury? I can never choose so I decided to prepare my Greek Saganaki Cheese two ways to satisfy all cravings. The cheese is cooked the same way in both dishes – lightly floured in gluten free tapioca and then pan fried until a beautiful crispy crust is formed on the outside with an oozy Kefalograviera cheese filling.
Kefalograviera is a salty hard traditional Greek table cheese produced from sheep’s milk or a mixture of sheep’s and goat’s milk. It is an extremely versatile cheese so I always have it stocked in my fridge. I enjoy it on toast, grated over pasta and shaved in salads. Saganaki simply refers to the frying of the cheese.
My first version is a sweet Saganaki with Caramelised Figs and Pomegranate Molasses. I love the sticky sweet combination of caramelised fruit and salty cheese. The second version is a savoury Saganaki with Cherry Tomatoes and Basil – a lighter more traditional flavour combination. They are equally divine, so just make both and dig in!
- 2 x 150g thick slices of Kefalograviera Cheese
- Tapioca flour for dusting
- Caramelised Fig dressing
- 2 large fresh figs, halved
- ½ tbs olive oil
- ¼ tbs balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp pomegranate molasses
- Fresh mint to garnish
- Cherry Tomato and Basil dressing
- Handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
- Squeeze of lemon juice
- 1 tbs basil leaves, shredded
- Combine oil and vinegar in a bowl. Add figs and coat in dressing.
- Lightly dust cheese slices in tapioca and fry in a hot cast iron pan for a minute on each side or until golden. Remove and place on serving dish.
- Place figs on a hot grill and cook for a couple of minutes on each side until caramelised. Turn off heat and pour in pomegranate molasses.
- Top cheese with figs and serve immediately.
- Lightly dust cheese slices in tapioca and fry in a hot cast iron pan for a minute on each side or until golden. Remove and place on serving dish.
- Top with tomato and squeeze over lemon juice. Garnish with basil and serve immediately.
Yes, slices of Kefalograviera cheese are best (although I far prefer to have the deli people slice them than but far costlier already sliced. And if it breaks, no issue as it will still cook and go down just as nicely.) PS I tried to hit 5 stars but as with some other occasions, it would stop me at 4 for some I.T. reason.