038Fried cheese

Method

Traditional pan-seared version. Must be eaten within five minutes of cooking while the core remains molten.

You will need

• Small heavy frying pan or cast iron skillet
• Wide spatula
• Shallow plate

1. Dip the cold cheese slab briefly in cold water so the surface is thoroughly moist, then dredge it on all sides in plain flour, shaking off any excess. 2 min Ready when: evenly coated with a thin film of flour
2. Heat the olive oil in a small heavy frying pan or saganaki pan over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering. 2 min Ready when: oil shimmers and a pinch of flour sizzles instantly
3. Carefully place the floured cheese into the pan and fry without disturbing until a rich, deep golden crust develops underneath. 3 min Ready when: underside is deeply browned and crisp
4. Using a wide spatula, flip the cheese gently and fry the second side until equally golden and the interior feels soft when pressed lightly. 2 min Ready when: both sides golden-brown and cheese yields to pressure
5. Remove from the heat immediately, squeeze a generous wedge of fresh lemon directly over the sizzling cheese, and serve at once with extra lemon wedges. 1 min Ready when: hissing loudly as the lemon juice strikes the hot crust

Tap a step to tick it off.

Make ahead and storing

Cannot be made ahead; the cheese will turn leathery upon cooling.

Not suitable for storage; best made and eaten immediately.

Substitutions

• Kasseri, Ladotyri Mytilinis, or Cretan Graviera for Kefalograviera or Graviera. Choose hard or semi-hard cheeses with high melting points to avoid turning into a puddle.
• Cornflour or fine semolina for Plain flour. Fine semolina gives an even crunchier crust, while cornflour provides a good gluten-free crust.

Common mistakes

• Frying at too low a temperature. The cheese will melt completely and ooze across the pan before a protective crisp crust can form.
• Letting the cheese warm to room temperature before frying. Cold cheese from the fridge allows the exterior to brown crisply while the centre barely softens.

Regional variants

• Formaela saganaki from Arachova
• Ladotyri saganaki from Lesvos

About the dish

Saganaki takes its name from the sagani, a shallow, heavy two-handled copper or steel frying pan inherited via Ottoman and Byzantine cookware traditions. While many dishes cooked in this pan carry the saganaki moniker, the fried hard cheese variant is by far the most famous. In authentic Greek home and taverna kitchens, it is simply dusted in plain flour, pan-fried to a deep golden crust over brisk heat, and finished with fresh lemon juice. The theatrical tableside flaming with spirits is an American diaspora invention and is rarely encountered in Greece.

Found in all of Greece. Cooked for everyday, summer, sunday lunch.

Cousins elsewhere

• Kızarmış helim (Turkish). Pan-fried firm brine-cured cheeses are widely eaten as meze across the eastern Mediterranean.
• Fried halloumi (Cypriot). Halloumi is seared without melting fully, akin to the resilient Greek frying cheeses.

Nutrition per serving (estimate)

332 kcal · protein 14.3 g · fat 26.5 g (saturated 11.9 g) · carbohydrate 10.2 g (sugars 0.8 g) · fibre 1 g · sodium 552 mg

An estimate (summed from ingredient estimates) that varies with the exact ingredients. It is not dietary advice.

Written fresh by Epikouria editors from general culinary tradition. Recipe by the Epikouria editors. Classic Greek taverna meze culture: high heat, cold hard cheese, and an immediate squeeze of lemon..

Products for this dish

Read more

• How Feta Is Made, and Where It Comes From
• Ouzo, Tsipouro, and Raki: A Guide to the Clear Spirits of Greece
• A Guide to Greek Cheeses: Styles, Milk Types, and Uses