Snack · 15 min · greek

Saganaki (Seared Cheese)

This is the kind of Greek snack you’ll make on repeat — kefalotyri or graviera and all-purpose flour, 15 minutes, big payoff.

Ingredients

• 12 oz Kefalotyri or graviera
• 1/4 cup All-purpose flour
• 1 Lemon
• 2 tbsp Unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp Olive oil
• 1 tsp Dried oregano

Steps

1. Cut the cheese into a 3/4-inch slab and soak 10 minutes in cold water — this tempers it so the outside crisps before the inside fully melts. Pat completely dry.
2. Dredge lightly in flour and shake off every bit of excess; the flour is a thin golden jacket, not a breading.
3. Sear in a screaming-hot skillet with the butter and oil, 2 minutes per side, until the crust is deep amber. Do not walk away — cheese goes from perfect to puddle in 60 seconds.
4. Slide onto a warm plate, hit it with a hard squeeze of lemon and a pinch of oregano, and serve within a minute. Saganaki is a race between the pan and the table, and the table should win.
5. For the taverna flourish, splash 2 tablespoons of brandy into the hot pan and tilt to flambé — the flames burn off in seconds and leave a caramel depth. Stand back when you tilt.

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