To make the kataifi next you will need a ‘nest frying spoon’ like the one at the bottom of this page. But you can make smaller nests (as I did to serve with my loin of pork on MasterChef – I filled them with a seafood mix on that occasion) in a muffin tin.
You can fill the next with both savoury and sweet things.
Ingredients
Serves 4
- 100g kataifi
- 1 manouri cheese, 170g
- A small handful of cherry tomatoes on the vine
- A small handful of mixed young salad leaves
- Olive oil for frying and brushing the griddle pan
- Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
- A squeeze of lemon juice
- Grape molasses for drizzling
Method
Take a small handful of kataifi filo and pull it apart with your fingers so as to unstick the strands. Place enough kataifi into the bigger ladle to make the shame of a nest and fix the top ladle over it.
Bring a saucepan with enough olive oil to a medium to high heat. Test the temperature by dropping an individual kataifi strand into it. The oil is hot enough when a strand dropped in it sizzles and expands, approx. 170 0C.
Hold the ladle into the oil for just a few minutes checking the colour and remove it when the kataifi is pale golden, after shaking it over the saucepan to drain. Tap the ladle onto some folded kitchen paper to drain any remaining drops of olive oil. Repeat and make another three nests.
To make the salad, wash the tomatoes and cut into four. Put in a bowl together with the green leaves and drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil and a squeeze of lemon. Season with some sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Warm a large knife under some hot water the cut the circle of manouri into two circles. Cut each circle into 6 triangles. Bring a griddle pan to a medium to high heat. Brush with a little olive oil and when smoking, place carefully the manouri triangles onto the pan. Leave for 30-40 seconds so as to caramelise and turn over gently to caramelise the other side. Transfer to a flat dish.
To assemble, place the kataifi nests onto the middle of the plates. Arrange the manouri cheese and salad in each nest and finish by drizzling with some grape molasses and a few more drops of extra virgin olive oil. You may scatter a few more salad leaves around each next before serving.