| Anyone else a phyllo/filo/fillo pastry fan???
Posted: 8/20/2009 2:54:17 AM | I thread-searched all of the above spellings!! I think a lot of people are put off by the delicate nature of this pastry. I treat it badly but it always comes up with the goods  When using filo- my tips are-
*Always use butter as the baste (I'm an evoo fan but it burns the filo before the food cooks through)
*Don't worry about wet tea towels etc
*Have fillings ready to go so it doesn't dry out too much.
*Brush cooking vessel with melted butter before putting filo in
Other than that... its easy!
Tiropittes (Greek cheese triangles)
400g filo
melted butter (maybe 40g?)
1 oz butter
4 tspns pl. flour
4 tblspns milk
1/4 pint cream
6 oz fetta
2 oz cheese- you choose!! Gruyere, cheddar- whatever)
2 eggs, beaten
2 tblspns chopped parsely
Black pepper
Nutmeg
Filling: Melt butter. Add flour. Cook to roux over low heat. Slowly pour in milk and cream (BTW... I use just milk as its a rich recipe). Stir and simmer very gently 3 mins. Remove from heat and add cheeses, egg, parsely and seasonings/nutmeg. Cool, then beat. Take 4 sheets filo, use pastry brush to spread a bit of melted butter over each sheet and put them one atop the other. Have them 'portrait' in front of you and use a sharp knife to cut into 3 long strips. Put a teaspoon of filling on the top of the sheet, then fold top right corner to a point on the left hand edge about 1 1/2 inches down, making a triangle. Fold once more. Thats 1 done!! Keep going... Cook at 180 deg for 20 mins til golden.
Spanakopita Pie (spinach and fetta pie)
NB! This is MY version and I haven't a Greek bone in my body!!!
2 big bunches English spinach. (Silverbeet or froz spinach will do too)
1 leek
1 red onion
1/2 bunch spring onions
a slab of good quality feta
lemon juice
fresh mint (entirely optional!!)
1 egg
'some' sweet cherry tomatoes (never counted- say- 15 teeny ones??)
1 tsp nutmeg
melted butter
filo of course!!
Wilt fresh, chopped spinach in boiling water until just done- 3 mins or so. In a large frying pan, melt a bit of butter with some EVOO and gently cook leeks, red onions and spring onions. Sweat for 5 mins or so. Cool. Put onion mix and spinach in a bowl. Mix in fetta, squirt of lemon, mint if using, egg, nutmeg and anything else I forgot to mention. Ensure the mixture is not too sloppy. Should hold a bit of shape on the spoon.
Line a pie dish with 4 sheets of filo, folded in half and dabbed with butter. The edges should hang over the pie dish. Pop in filling. Fold filo edges over filing, and cover fully with 2 or 3 more folded sheets of filo dabbed with butter and folded. Brush with butter all over the top. Bake at 180-200 deg around 40 mins- turn heat down if it browns too fast.
Eat!! Its great with hot chili sauce. Or cold the next day.
Fruit pies can use filo as a top crust- I do apple, redcurrant and blackcurrant withbbrown sugar and cinnamon. I just put the fruit mix in a pie dish and top with filo/butter as above. Crispy and yummmmmmmmmm
Please share any filo recipes!! | |
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| Anyone else a phyllo/filo/fillo pastry fan???
Posted: 8/20/2009 4:48:16 AM | Wrap a round of Brie in phyllo ... yes, a moist tea towel placed over the sheets is a good thing. Brush each sheet with melted butter.
Cranberry compote is one topping to put on the Brie. Duxelles is another.
Bake until phyllo is golden and puffy.
The two favourites of mine are Spanakopita and Baklava. No, I'm not Greek either, just love the cuisine.
Baklava
3 cups finely chopped walnuts
1 cup finely chopped almonds
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup sugar
1 lb filo dough
½ lb melted clarified butter
Syrup (recipe follows)
1. Mix together walnuts, almonds cinnamon and sugar.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F.
3. Butter 5 filo sheets, fold each sheet in half and stack in 13”x9”x2” pan. Sprinkle with
5 tablespoons of nut mixture.
4. Fold 2 more leaves , butter top and sprinkle with 5 tablespoons of nut mixture. Repeat
4 more times. Top with remaining fillo sheets, buttering every 2 leaves.
5. Trim edges using a sharp knife.
6. Cut baklava into diamond or square shapes
7. Bake for 15 minutes and lower oven to 300°F and leave baklava for another 45 to 60
minutes or until top is golden brown.
8. Take out of oven and pour syrup over cooked baklava.
Syrup
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
Cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon rose water
1 teaspoon orange blossom water
1. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat place sugar and water. Cook until sugar
is dissolved.
2. Add cinnamon stick and juice of half a lemon. Cook all ingredients until thickened.
3. Take syrup mixture off heat and add rose water and orange blossom water.
4. Let cool before pouring over cooked baklava. May be stored for up to 6 months in an
airtight container.
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| Anyone else a phyllo/filo/fillo pastry fan???
Posted: 8/20/2009 5:04:29 PM | | I did not like the Athen's mini fillo Shells i bought at the grocery store. they are perfectly sized to create so many delicious appetizers, but the taste of the dough is bland and ruins anything i've tried to put in them... i have 2 boxes of them in my freezer. suggestions greatly appreciated! | |
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| Anyone else a phyllo/filo/fillo pastry fan???
Posted: 8/20/2009 7:06:29 PM | I've used the mini shells for sweet items. Something that can perk them up is to brush them with melted butter (clarified works best for phyllo- the removal of the water helps with the crispiness), sprinkle with sugar and bake them. Then they can be used as a mini tart shell for mousses, custards, etc.
Do the same thing for something savory, without the sugar. Par-bake them if the filling needs to be baked. The extra butter does help with flavor.
A lot of problems from phyllo is the dough itself. I've gotten so many bad boxes, but have found one of the best brands is from Fillo Factory (not the organic one). It's usually always fresh, and thick enough to handle. There is another from Sinbad, I think, but it's harder to find. | |
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| Anyone else a phyllo/filo/fillo pastry fan???
Posted: 8/20/2009 11:43:33 PM | I take the boxed ready made sheets and cut rectangles (it usually comes folded in 3 layers) out of ea. fold. I get 6 pieces, then take 3 and cut the middles out about 3/4" from the edge and put 1 cutout (save middles and bake these also for covers when it's done) onto 1 solid flat sheet w/ a bit of butter to make a big boat/shell and bake until done. After it's baked I fill it w/ a seafood Alfredo (simple Alfredo sauce w/ lots of shrimp, scallops and crab added about 5 mins. before it's fully reduced ) and put the covers on top then cover w/ more alfredo.
That recipe is a tad high in Cholesterol....
I've also made the little pastry shells and poured home made truffle mixture (while still warm and liquid) into them. | |
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| Anyone else a phyllo/filo/fillo pastry fan???
Posted: 8/21/2009 10:22:35 AM | Oh Mac, with that recipe for the seafood you could fill my arteries up anytime! lol...sounds absolutely wonderful!
OT: I like to take phyllo, the square kind and wrap brie in it. Between the layers, I baste with butter. Wrap it all up and bake it in the oven. Bring it out and serve it with more melted butter or some fruit preserves on the side. Sheesh, seems to be a lotta artery cloggin goin on in this thread! | |
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| Anyone else a phyllo/filo/fillo pastry fan???
Posted: 9/21/2009 5:39:29 PM | PinkDanielle,
I have a little dessert treat that I make with those mini filo cups, that everyone that has had them loves. Make plenty, because they go fast. I will also give you one that a friend makes that is good too.
Mine...I would say this is enough for about 2 dozen, so that would be both of yur boxes.
Banana Tartlettes
You will need:
a couple of bananas, cut into 24 - 1/3" slices
1 box instant banana pudding+ the milk
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 tbls Banana liqueur (optional)
Maple syrup
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 stick butter
1 tsp maple flavoring
1-2 sturdy toothpicks
2 dozen mini filo tartlette cups
First, prepare bananas:
Butter a large flat plate or a cookie sheet. In a skillet melt butter, add sugar and bring to simmer, add maple flavoring and just as it starts to thicken, turn off heat and quickly dip the banana slices into the thick syrup by spearing them in the center with the toothpick. Coat well and completely, let excess drip off, then place single layer on the buttered plate/pan. Work quickly before syrup hardens.
Second, make the filling:
Make pudding by package directions, but leave 1/4 cup of the milk out. Blend crean cheese with 1 tsp maple flavoring. Let both chill 10-15 minutes. Once set, blend pudding well with the cream cheese, then add the liqueur and blend well again.
Third, put together:
To the filo cups put 1 tsp of maple syrup in each.
Add the filling to full in each cup. This is easiest by using a pastry bag without a tip. Or a ziplock bag with a 3/4" slit cut in one corner.
Place 1 banana slice, on end, into the filling, at an angle.
Can keep up to an hour or two in the fridge before serving, well covered.
Okay, I said I was going to give you a recipe of a friend of mine, but I cannot find it. They are sooooooo good.
It is avocado, mixed with cocoa powder, powdered sugar and a few other things I cannot remember, then fill the filo tart and it looks like a dark chocolate mousse and on top it has a small mint leaf and a fresh raspberry. I will try to find it.
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| Anyone else a phyllo/filo/fillo pastry fan???
Posted: 9/23/2009 2:33:59 PM | I once needed to make a quick apple pie but had not time to make crust... threw phyllo in a baking dish.. topped with sliced apples sauted in butter, brown sugar and cinnamon topped with remaining phyllo
spread melted butter , bake
sprinkled cinnamon sugar
squared it to serve
it was a hit
thin though but still... a hit | |
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| Anyone else a phyllo/filo/fillo pastry fan???
Posted: 9/26/2009 7:25:16 AM | We just had amazing kataifi prawns the other night, so I replicated the dish at home..yummm!
(Kataifi is a shredded filo pastry)
Marinate slightly butterflied prawns (as many as you choose) in garlic, chilli, ginger and lime juice for 5-10mins. (No real recipe, if you love more chilli than ginger..use more/less of each etc).
Take a small amount of Kataifi (it looks similar to very fine fairy floss), lay the prawn at the very end of the kataifi, and roll tightly.
Heat oil in a deep fryer and fry til golden and crispy (approx 5mins)
Serve with garlic aioli | |
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| Anyone else a phyllo/filo/fillo pastry fan???
Posted: 9/29/2009 3:49:32 AM | Never seen or heard of Kataifi but am salivating at the thought! Can you shred your own? Just how finely is it cut???
pleeeeeeeeeeeeeease share as it sounds wonderful!! | |
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| Anyone else a phyllo/filo/fillo pastry fan???
Posted: 9/29/2009 1:11:56 PM | Jojo, it is finely shredded like shreadded wheat biscuits cereal. You should be able to get it right next to anywhere you get filo. If your store doesn't have it, a Greek or middle eastern store will. It is most often used for pistachio, almond, or walnut sweet desserts like bakalva. It will be rolled around the sweet nuts and then syrup poured over. Sometimes, no syrup, depends on the dessert. It is also used in a really yummy dessert that has a farina custard in it.
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| Anyone else a phyllo/filo/fillo pastry fan???
Posted: 10/1/2009 7:02:45 AM | Im finding it a little more difficult to source here Jo & Im in Cairns. Its incredibly fine, my guy thought it was shredded coconut at first lol.
I managed to get it through a greek deli finally, though I am told that Woolworths, Coles & IGA's can stock it at request.
The prwns are sooo worth it.. | |
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