Skillet Saganaki with Lemon and Oregano

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A slab of kefalotyri or kasseri, dusted in flour and seared in a screaming-hot skillet until the outside turns crackly and golden and the inside goes molten and stretchy. A hard squeeze of lemon at the end cuts the salt. No brandy, no flames — just a hot pan, four minutes, and bread for scooping.

Ingredients

• 8 oz kefalotyri or kasseri cheese, in one block
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp cold water

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges
• 1/2 tsp dried Greek oregano
• freshly cracked black pepper
• crusty bread or warm pita, for serving

Instructions

1. Cut the cheese into two slabs about 3 inches wide, 4 inches long and a full 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. Thin slices melt into a puddle before the crust forms, so keep them chunky.
2. Put the cheese in a bowl of cold water for 1 minute, then lift out and let the excess drip off. This surface moisture is what the flour grips onto — do not pat the cheese dry.
3. Spread the flour on a plate and press each wet slab into it, coating all six sides including the edges. Set on a rack and let sit 5 minutes so the coating tightens up. Meanwhile, refrigerate the floured cheese if your kitchen is warm — cold cheese gives you more time to build a crust.
4. Heat the olive oil in a 10-inch cast-iron or heavy stainless skillet over medium-high until it shimmers and a pinch of flour sizzles instantly, about 3 minutes. Nonstick will work but browns less aggressively.
5. Lay the slabs in the pan, leaving space between them, and do not touch them for 2 minutes. Look for a deep golden, blistered crust at the edges; lift one corner with a thin spatula to check.
6. Flip carefully and fry the second side 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, until equally browned and the center feels soft and yielding when pressed with the spatula. Total time in the pan should stay under 5 minutes — any longer and the cheese slumps.
7. Slide immediately onto a warm platter. Squeeze a lemon wedge generously over the top so it hisses, crumble the oregano between your fingers over the cheese, and add cracked pepper. Serve at once with bread and the remaining lemon wedges, and pull it apart while the middle is still stretchy.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

More from Sprig Originals

Char-Grilled Oysters with Garlic-Worcestershire Butter

Dark Roux Seafood Gumbo with Quick Shrimp Stock

One-Skillet Blackened Cajun Chicken Pasta

Are you this recipe's original author or publisher? Report a problem