Galaktoboureko

At last, the world’s best recipe for the Greek national dessert. Many of you would have eaten galaktoboureko before but no one outside family and friends has eaten my mother’s version, which is to die for. So you’re lucky to get this recipe. It has taken me a whole year to persuade Mum to share it with me and now I’m sharing it with you.

Ingredients 1.5L milk 250g unsalted butter 1 cup semolina 6 eggs 3 cups sugar 2 tbsp vanilla powder Zest & juice of 1 lime 1 pkt filo pastry 5 cups water 2 quinces, skins & seeds only 1 cinnamon stick 1 vanilla bean

Method

Custard

1. Pour milk into a large pot and warm over a low heat. Melt butter in a separate pot, then add 3 tablespoons of melted butter and the semolina to the milk, stirring until the milk thickens like custard.
2. Cool the thickened milk by placing the pot into a sink filled with cold water. Change the water as required and continue the cooling process.
3. 4 Separate the egg whites from the yolks and whip the whites at high speed until thick like meringue. Remove and place in a bowl.
4. Add egg yolk, 1 cup of sugar, vanilla powder and lime zest to blender or processor and process on high speed until thick and creamy. Add the cold thickened milk and blend together at medium speed for 1 minute. Reduce speed and add whipped whites and blend for 1 minute. Your custard filling is ready. Syrup
5. In a large pot, add the 5 cups water, quince skins and seeds and bring to the boil. Remove from heat and discard quince skins and seeds. Add the rest of the sugar, cinnamon stick, squeeze of lime juice and vanilla bean to the water and bring to the boil again, then put aside and allow to cool.
6. Brush melted butter over each pastry sheet then lay each sheet in a crisscross pattern in a greased baking tray, making sure the sheets overlap the edges of the tray.
7. Use 12–14 sheets on the base then pour custard into tray and spread evenly.
8. Lay 6-8 buttered filo sheets on top with no overlap then fold bottom sheets over the top.
9. Lay 4 more buttered sheets on top then brush remaining melted butter over entire dish. Cut pie into 3 long equal sections and bake in preheated oven at 200o until golden brown.
10. Remove from oven and slowly pour about 2 cups of cold syrup over entire pie starting from the outside. Maresi!

Tip Serve hot with a tablespoon of stewed dried fruit and a dollop of icecream.