Real African Dishes: [MC-AllEthnic-Recipes] Epirus Multi-Layered Butter Pie Made with Homemade Phyllo - Greek ; 5g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber

Thursday, October 20, 2011

[MC-AllEthnic-Recipes] Epirus Multi-Layered Butter Pie Made with Homemade Phyllo - Greek ; 5g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber

* Exported from MasterCook *

Epirus Multi-Layered Butter Pie Made with Homemade Phyllo - Greek

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 10 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : LowerCarbs

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 package commercial phyllo dough pastry sheets -- 12 to 14 sheets, at room temperature (or homemade Epiriote phyllo rolled gossamer thin)
Filling:
2 pounds Greek feta cheese
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter -- 3 sticks

Defrost dough to room temperature, keep covered with a kitchen towel until needed.

Crumble the feta in a medium bowl. In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, melt the butter. Remove from the heat. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 325F.

Using 18 to 20-inch pieces of phyllo, place 2 sheets of phyllo in an oiled 18-inch round baking or pizza pan that is 2-inches deep. Drizzle with melted butter. Place another 2 sheets of phyllo over the first. Drizzle with melted butter and sprinkle with crumbled feta.

Repeat the process, buttering every layer, and sprinkling feta on every second layer. The last layer should have only butter, not feta and butter.

Gently fold the top, bottom and sides of the circle inward, toward the center, just enough to make a rounded square. Invert a large plate (large enough to fit the entire pastry) over the dough and flip, so that the folded sides are underneath. Slip the pie back into the baking pan. Using your fingertips, gently push the pastry out toward the periphery of the pan until the surface is covered.

Bake, uncovered, until light golden brown in color, about 1 1/2 hours. Serve warm.

Makes one 18-inch pie; 12 to 15 servings

Note: you may reduce the ingredients by half and bake the pie in a 9-inch or 10-inch baking pan.

AuthorNote: this fascinating, difficult pie is a favorite among the Vlachs and takes its name from the Vlach word for cheese, kas or kash. It is hard to prepare because of the number of gossamer, homemade phyllo sheets it requires. I learned to make it from a local Metsovo woman, one of that generation of women born with a dowel in their hands. You'll need a wooden dowel at least 24 inches long and 3/4-inch in diameter in addition to the usual rolling pin [or use commercial phyllo sheets].

One last thing - you will note that several of the pies in this chapter call for them to be flipped and slid back into the pan to brown on the other side. This is also an old custom from the days before calibrated ovens, one that home cooks still cling to dearly.

Cuisine:
"Greek"
Source:
"The Glorious Foods of Greece by Diane Kochilas, 2001"
S(Formatted by Chupa Babi):
"Oct 2011"
Yield:
"1 14 to 15-inch pie"
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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 489 Calories; 47g Fat (85.4% calories from fat); 13g Protein; 5g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 155mg Cholesterol; 1026mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 2 Lean Meat; 8 1/2 Fat.

NOTES : Borek or Kassata

Nutr. Assoc. : 26025 0 0 0