Feta Saganaki

5 from 1 vote

This is my twist on the classic Greek feta saganaki. Imagine crispy, crunchy filo pastry wrapped around a deliciously creamy, salty block of feta. All finished off with a sprinkling of nutty sesame seeds, a drizzle of honey and a scattering of fresh herbs. So good.

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Total Time20

Course: Side Dishes

Cuisine: Greek

Servings: servings as a side

Ingredients

2 large sheets filo pastry
Unsalted butter melted, for brushing
200 g good quality feta or just one large block
1 egg yolk beaten
1 tbsp white sesame seeds (approx)
Sunflower oil for shallow frying

To serve:

Good quality runny honey for drizzling
Sprigs of fresh dill

Instructions

Place one sheet of filo pastry on a chopping board. Brush generously with melted butter.
Top with the second sheet of filo and brush with another generous layer of melted butter. If it’s a very large piece of filo, here you can fold it in half on the shortest side as if you would a birthday card to make it smaller. Otherwise, you end up with very thick filo around the feta. You can use the block of feta to measure it against the filo and decide if it needs to be smaller or not.
Place the block of feta in the centre of the filo and carefully wrap the filo up around it as if you were wrapping a present. Fold the ends under and press down to seal (it should seal easily due to the melted butter).
Brush all over with the beaten egg yolk, then sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Next, in a frying pan, heat about 1-2 cm of sunflower oil (you aren’t deep-frying, but you do need a generous amount) over a gentle heat.
Once gently bubbling, add the filo parcel and fry for a few minutes on each side - or until gloriously golden and crispy on the outside (giving enough time for the feta to go all melty and gooey on the inside too). Take care to moderate the heat so the sesame seeds don’t burn.
Carefully remove from the oil using a slotted spoon or spatula and pop on a plate lined with kitchen paper to absorb any excess oil.
Place onto a serving plate, drizzle with runny honey and sprinkle with sprigs of fresh dill. Enjoy straight away!

Notes

Scroll up for a step by step guide on how to make feta saganaki, including images on folding the filo pastry.

To store: this is best made, fried and eaten straight away.

To reheat: this is one of those dishes that is best served straight away so the filo stays crisp and the feta is soft. But if you are eating the feta saganaki slowly with lots of other bits and you find it gets a bit too hard for your tastes, I would pop it in the oven at 200c for 5 minutes or so, just to warm it through. The filo won’t remain as crisp but it will warm it again if you need.

Make ahead: you can prep the parcel up until brushing with beaten egg yolk. Cover with a clean damp cloth and pop in the fridge for up to a few hours before serving.

Make it vegan: brush the filo with olive oil instead of butter, use a plant-based feta and drizzle with maple syrup instead of honey.

Cheese: the feta is the star of the show in this feta saganaki so opt for the best quality you can find. For a French twist, why not try a large triangular slice of Brie or Camembert round?

Herbs: if you aren’t a fan of dill, sprigs of thyme, lemon thyme or oregano work really well too.

Serving suggestions: this is delicious as a starter or served alongside a selection of Mediterranean mezze dishes.

Nutrition