Saganaki

Making Saganaki Ahead

Eat within minutes. Cooled saganaki sets into an unappealing rubber and cannot be revived.

Saganaki: The Method

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1. Rinse the cheese slabs briefly under cold water and pat them barely dry — a slightly damp surface helps the flour adhere.

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2. Press each slab into the flour, coating all faces including the edges, and shake off the excess.

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3. Heat the olive oil in a small heavy frying pan over medium-high heat until it shimmers.

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4. Lay in the cheese and fry for 90 seconds without moving it, until a deep golden crust has formed underneath.

   Mark done Start 90 sec timer

5. Turn carefully with a fish slice and fry the second side for 60 to 90 seconds.

   Mark done Start 60 sec timer

6. The cheese should be visibly bulging and soft in the middle by now. Do not cook it further or it will weep oil.

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7. If flambéing, pour over the ouzo and light it carefully with a long match, standing well back. Let the flames die completely.

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8. Squeeze lemon over generously, grind on black pepper, and serve immediately in the pan with bread.

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Tips for Success

• Small pan, high heat, short time. Saganaki is a three-minute dish and it does not wait.
• Halloumi works but behaves differently — it squeaks and does not go molten in the same way.
• The lemon is essential. It cuts the salt and fat and makes the whole thing work.

Good Alongside

Warm crusty bread, for mopping · Ouzo or a cold Greek beer · A wider meze spread

Saganaki Nutrition

No nutrition figures are given for this recipe: they cannot be worked out reliably from its ingredient list (most of the energy comes from foods with no recorded source). Why some recipes have none.