MEZEDES RECIPES

Baked feta and mint with phyllo pastries

Ingredients

Small bunch of fresh mint

1 tbsp olive oil

200g pack feta, sliced into 4 fingers

2 large phyllo pastry

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C/ fan 160C

Finely chop the mint and mix with the olive oil

Brush over each feta finger and set aside

Brush one filo sheet generously with melted butter and lay the other sheet on top

Cut the layered filo sheets into 4 equal rectangles

Place a finger of feta at the end of a rectangle and wrap the filo around the cheese, brushing with butter as you go to make it stick

Brush the outside of the pastry with butter

Place the fingers on a baking sheet lined with baking paper and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and crisp

Serve with salad leaves and lemon wedges

Seafood mezze

Ingredients

6 extra large tiger prawn

1 cup small tiger prawns

8 scallops

3/4 cup samphire

1/2 baguette

4 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

2 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons Mustard

Method

Peel the prawns and add to a pan with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and place on medium heat, colour on both sides, add 1 Tablespoon of the Mustard with Rosé Wine and Grapefruit , place in a serving dish and sprinkle with the parsley.

For the small prawns

Peel the prawns and add to a pan with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and place on medium heat, colour on both sides, add 1 Tablespoon of the Maille rose wine mustard, place in a serving dish and sprinkle with the chilli flakes.

For the scallops

In a pan place 1 tablespoon butter and melt on medium heat, when the butter starts to sizzle add the scallops without stirring for 1 minute, turn over and colour the other side for a further minute, add the mustard, white wine and stir well, once incorporated place on a serving dish

For the samphire

Scorch the samphire in boiling water for 1 minute, strain and place on a serving dish.

For the baguette

Slice the baguette thinly, add to a hot pan with the remaining butter, toast each side in the pan.

Serve all plates together

Greek Custard pie

For the custard pastry

200 ml unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for greasing

3 free-range eggs, separated

125g caster sugar

½ tsp vanilla extract

90g semolina

1 litre pint full-fat milk, warmed

8 sheets filo pastry

For the syrup

100 ml water

2 lemon

440g caster sugar

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan Grease a 20cm springform cake tin

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, caster sugar and vanilla extract until pale and creamy Gradually beat in the semolina and the warmed milk Put this mixture into a clean pan and cook over a low heat for up to 10 minutes until thickened, stirring constantly

In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff but not dry peaks form when the whisk is removed Loosen the semolina custard with a spoonful of the egg whites, then fold in the rest

Brush each sheet of filo pastry with the melted butter and lay in the springform tin, alternating the direction the excess will drape over the sides until you ’ ve used 6 sheets

Pour the custard mixture into the pastry-lined tin and fold the overhanging sheets over the top, tucking in the ends Place the final sheet of filo, buttered and folded in half, on top Tuck in the sides and butter the top

Bake for 45–50 minutes until the custard mixture has set Check after 30 minutes and cover with foil if the top is getting too brown

8 Zest the lemons, then peel them and cut the fruit across into thin slices, removing excess pith

Heat the caster sugar and 200 ml of water in a pan When the sugar has dissolved, add the lemon juice and simmer for 8–10 minutes until you have a thick syrup Add the lemon slices to the syrup, then set aside

Allow the pie to cool to room temperature before releasing from the tin. Cut into slices using a knife and serve with the syrup.