GASTRONORMOUS

Saganaki means fried cheese. More or less. But the type of cheese used, and how is is prepared, varies across the Mediterranean. At many places in Athens, for example, saganaki means deep-fried feta. In other places it is pan-fried kefalotyri or kasseri. Although in Cyprus grilled halloumi is not usually listed on the menu by the name saganaki, that is technically what it is.

When my friend Karen and her husband came over Saturday night, I decided to make an unusual form of saganaki that she would likely appreciate. It is based on saganaki I ordered at a little taverna in the harbor town of Kamariotissa on Samothrace, during one of two summers I spent working at the archaeological site of the Sanctuary of the Great Gods (you are probably familiar with one object found there). Karen had also worked there for a summer, and I thought she may have visited this taverna, where they wrapped a hunk of feta in foil along with some oregano, thin strips of small red and yellow peppers, and a splash of olive oil. It was served still wrapped in the foil, and what a delight it was to unfold it and indulge at that little outdoor table.

So this was approximately what I made for my guests Saturday night, with a few modifications:

Serving food wrapped in foil may be charming on the veranda of a little taverna next to the ferry landing, but I didn’t think it would quite work in my Brooklyn living room. So, I filled a low shallow ceramic dish with a thick layer of feta, drizzled it with olive oil, sprinkled on a bit of oregano and black pepper (no salt!), and some paper-thin slices of jalapeno. (I was going to do strips of pepper, as in the original, but I thought the round slices looked pretty, so I left them that way.)

I covered the dish with foil and baked it in 350 degree oven until bubbly, then I uncovered and baked it for five minutes. I let is sit on the counter for a few minutes more before serving so as not to scald my guests!

When they arrived I asked Karen if she remembered the unusual saganaki in Samothrace. She responded excitedly that not only did she remember it, but that she still dreamt about it. I asked her what she remembered it being like, because I wanted to make sure I wasn’t forgetting any little authentic detail, and she went on to explain a totally different dish. It sounded more like the pan-fried kefolatyri type. She said she had eaten it at “you know, that place with the tree….”

Oh, yes, the place with the tree. I never had the saganaki there, so this is a bit of a digression, but this restaurant called Sotiros is located high above the main town of Samothrace, or Chora, and is a truly magical place. The seating is mostly if not all outdoors, on a cobbled terrace dominated by a huge, ancient tree. There are lights strung, there are locals drinking beer and being merry, there is their famous chicken in paper being eaten, and if you go at the right time, there is the most beautiful sunset you have ever seen. If you ever find yourself on Samothrace, be sure to stop by Sotiros. You’ll have to ask a local how to get there, it isn’t very straightforward.

In the end, the saganaki iteration I made was not the same as the one Karen had dreamt of, but that didn’t keep everyone from raving about it. On top of being tasty, it is really simple to prepare, and would be a great addition to your appetizer spread (it is great alongside hummus!). I hope you try this recipe and enjoy it!