Saganaki

Saganaki (Fried Greek Cheese)

A classic Greek meze: a thick slab of graviera is dredged in flour, pan-fried in olive oil until crisp and golden on the outside and molten within, then finished with a sharp squeeze of lemon. Best eaten sizzling straight from the pan with crusty bread.

Prep

10 min

Cook

8 min

Total

18 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •400 g (14 oz) graviera cheese, cut into 4 slices about 1.5 cm thick; kefalotyri or kefalograviera are traditional alternatives. Avoid pre-sliced sandwich cheese; you need a block that holds its shape when fried.
• •60 g (½ cup) all-purpose flour, for dredging, plus extra as needed
• •120 ml (½ cup) extra-virgin olive oil, or a 50/50 mix of olive oil and sunflower oil for a less heavy fry
• •1 whole lemon, cut into wedges, for serving
• •1 pinch fine sea salt, optional, graviera is already salty
• •1 pinch freshly ground black pepper

Steps

1. 1 Pat the cheese slices very dry with paper towels. Surface moisture causes the flour to clump and the cheese to weep when fried; dryness is the key to a crisp crust and clean melt.
2. 2 Spread the flour on a wide plate. Season lightly with salt and pepper if using. Dredge each slice thoroughly on both sides and on the edges, pressing so the flour adheres, then shake off any excess.
3. 3 Heat the olive oil in a heavy small frying pan (a traditional saganaki is a two-handled shallow pan) over medium-high heat until shimmering, around 180 °C / 350 °F. To test, a pinch of flour should sizzle immediately.
4. 4 Lay the floured cheese slices in the pan in a single layer. Fry for about 2 to 3 minutes on the first side, without moving them, until a deep golden crust forms. Carefully flip with a spatula and fry 1 to 2 minutes on the second side until equally golden.
5. 5 The cheese is ready when the crust is crisp and deeply golden and the interior is soft and molten. Work quickly; graviera goes from gooey to fully liquid in seconds. If a slice softens too much, lift it out immediately.
6. 6 Transfer to warm plates. Squeeze a lemon wedge over each slice and serve at once, sizzling, with the remaining lemon wedges, crusty bread, and ouzo or dry white wine. Do not let it sit; the molten cheese will re-firm as it cools.
7. 7 Optional table flambé (dramatic, not traditional in all tavernas): off the heat, pour 30 ml / 2 tbsp of brandy or metaxa into the hot pan, tip the pan toward the flame to ignite, and spoon the flaming liquid over the plated cheese. Allow the alcohol to burn off before eating.