An iconic Greek dessert called Galaktoboureko comprises a delicious semolina cream encased in filo pastry and douced in plenty of cinnamon and lemon flavoured syrup. I replaced filo with the finer kataifi strands and flavoured the syrup with fragrant lavender for a fine dessert fitting any smart dinner party table!
Allow approximately 20-25g of kataifi pastry for individual ramekins or 250g to make a single large dish. And if you want to bake like the Greeks, double everything!!
Ingredients (serves 8-10)
For the cream
- 50g caster sugar
- 45g fine semolina
- 300ml full fat milk
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 25g cold butter cut in cubes
For the lavender syrup
- 200g granulated sugar
- 150ml water
- 1 tbsp culinary lavender
- 1 piece lemon peel (3 x 1cm)
To assemble
- Kataifi (fresh or fully defrosted)
- 75g unsalted butter
- 75ml a light extra virgin olive oil
Serve with
- Blueberries, edible flowers, honeycomb, or candied lemon, all flavours that go well with lavender
Method
Start by making the syrup. Bring a saucepan with the water, sugar and lavender to a medium heat, stirring from time to time to dissolve the sugar. Bring to the boil and from that moment cook for a further 5 minutes. Take away from the heat, leave to infuse for 10 minutes and strain. Leave the syrup to cool.
To make the cream, beat the egg whites in a bowl to a thick meringue consistency. Add the yolks and beat a little more to incorporate fully.
Bring a saucepan with the milk and sugar almost to boiling point, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Sprinkle all the semolina into the milk gradually while stirring with a wooden spoon. Keep stirring while the semolina cooks till it thickens and bubbles. Remove from the heat, add the butter cubes stirring continuously. Add the vanilla and fold in the whisked eggs with a spatula.
Melt the butter and mix with the olive oil in a bowl.
Separate the strands of the kataifi and line individual ramekins with pieces long enough to overhang all around. Using a brush, sprinkle the kataifi with the butter mix.
Spoon a couple of tbsp of cream in each ramekin and fold over the kataifi strands to completely cover the cream. Sprinkle with a little more melted butter.
Preheat the oven to 180 0 C.
Place the ramekins on an oven tray and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 1600C and continue baking for a further 30 minutes till the kataifi is a deep golden colour.
Take out of the oven and immediately spoon over the cold syrup equally between the ramekins.