FEATURE // Saganaki
The art of saganaki Cheese is integral to Greece’s food culture, and saganaki is proof.
GREEK CUISINE IS known for many iconic
WORDS Aristine Dobson
offer and is typically served at the start of a
and Greekdoor’s Matina Spetsiotis about its
showcase the variety of cheeses Greece has to
kind of cheese for the job and mastering
foundational. It is one of the best ways to
mezze spread.
prevalence in Greek venues, choosing the right the technique.
An early version of saganaki appeared in
Peter Conistis is a Sydney-based chef who has
Greektown, Chicago, which saw the owner
years, including the latest: Ploos in Campbells
the late ’60s at the Parthenon restaurant in
bring a piping hot pan of cheese to the table,
add a dash of alcohol and set it alight in front of guests. The result was a slice of cheese
with a crisp outer layer, a gooey centre and a memorable flavour. It’s just one of the many interpretations of the dish, with another iteration drizzled with lemon, oregano and honey. 50 | Hospitality
Hospitality talks to Ploos’ Peter Conistis
dishes, and saganaki is nothing short of
opened a raft of Greek restaurants over the
Cove. He says diners often have the wrong idea
when it comes to saganaki, confusing ingredients with technique. “People think saganaki is the
cheese, but it is a word that refers to the style of
cooking; it’s the pan it’s cooked in,” says the chef on the two-handled pan. “In the northern parts of Greece, seafood is done saganaki style with prawns and muscles.”
