The most indulgent plate I have ever set eyes on was at a taverna in Therisos, a gorge five minutes west of Chania that is known for meat nearly as much as for scenery, each rich with drama. The scenery was lost to darkness; we were there for the meat. But that meat- glistening mahogany, succulent, tinged with char- was not the indulgence I remember. Sitting on a rustic wooden chair outside the kitchen, elegant in Cretan traditional dress of tall boots and a black crocheted mandili, was an absolutely ancient man. He held a full-sized plate heavy with long pointed wedges of Graviera- a local aged semi-hard cheese- blanketed thickly with thyme honey. He had no bread, and no fork. He looked peaceful, and severe, and what with all the honey, a little bit naughty. Drunk with grilled goat chops and a little tipsy on wine, I could not but gaze at his feast. He gave me the barest wry smile of satisfaction before raising a dripping wedge to his mouth.
Cheese and honey is fabulous- common enough in Crete (kalitsounia- delicious small fried cheese pies served with honey, or the thin and severe and delicious Sfakianopita, blistered on a dry griddle) and elsewhere. Any sweet/savory pie gets to me- Bisteeya, Tourte de Blette.... This pie is simplest of these brilliant lunch/dessert pies- serving every want at every hour. As to the mint- mint in some savory dishes can seem exotic for Western palates- we know it most in juleps and ices, patties covered with chocolate. Paired with fresh goat cheese, like in the fabulous and elaborate Cretan Boureki, or with feta, like in this pie, mint is wild and sophisticated and mellow all at once.
Nothing says Greece outside of Greece like phyllo pastry. It seems intricate and complicated and exotic but actually it is only the last- packaged frozen phyllo is breeze to work with- high impact, low risk. When I am visiting the US and making dinner for friends and family, I use it often, for little mezze pies, or for dessert (Galaktoboureko, a milk and semolina phyllo syrup dessert that makes a less dizzyingly sweet alternative to baklava, is a favorite), or most recently in this pie, ideal as mezze, light lunch, or dessert.
We will need just:
450 g/1 pound frozn phyllo sheets
about 150 g/ 1 1/4 sticks butter
250 g/ 1/2 pound feta
200 g/ 1 C strained yogurt
about 20 fresh mint leaves, torn small (dried mint in a pinch is also quite good- mint dries well)
Lots of honey, for serving
Take the phyllo from its box and thaw it in its plastic inner package. Get out a clean kitchen towel and dampen it slightly, a dish to bake the pie in, and a pastry brush. Crumble the feta and blend with the yogurt and the torn mint leaves. Melt the butter. When the dough has thawed (it will pliable- it is easy to tell), take it from its package, unroll it, and cover it with the barely damp towel. Phyllo is much easier to work with if it stays pliable. Brush the baking dish with a little butter, lay over a sheet of phyllo, draping and crimping it to leave just a bit of overhand on the sides. It will be full of ruffles, and any torn or broken sheets can be used just as easily. Brush with butter, and repeat with six or seven more sheets. Cover with the filling, drape the ends over it,
brushing them likewise with butter, and layer more sheets on top, another six or seven, gathering and crimping them and leaving no overhang this time. and making a very pretty crimping with the top sheets. The ruffles will grab the butter, allow the air to circulate and make them evenly crisp. Messy imperfection bakes up into rustic baroque beauty.
The pie can sit on the counter for a while at this stage, if you plan to make it before the meal perhaps and serve it for dessert. It's nice to present it hot from the oven, puffed like a souffle from the heat. Half an hour or so before you want to eat it, put it into a 170 f/ 350 c oven, on a low rack so the bottom sheets get a good chance to brown. Keep a close eye on it and remove it when it is a uniform rich deep golden color (and definitely not light brown), perhaps 25-30 minutes.
Pour honey on the individual slices for beauty- a drizzle for mezze, a cascade for dessert. Of course the pie is wonderful on its own, but the stickiness of the honey sharpens the crispness of the shards of phyllo, the rich dairy tang of the cheese tames the sweetness, making you want more of each, and more of everything.
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