There is a long list of reasons why I love these simple triangles of feta wrapped in phyllo dough. One is that I love food that’s stuffed with other food, and that love is amplified when the outer layer is any kind of dough. I love dough. I also love biting into something and discovering a delicious surprise inside (though I’m sure you’d agree that there are few things worse than biting into something thinking the inside is one thing and it’s actually another, less good thing).
I also love the idea of eating appetizers for dinner. Or, “hors d’oeuvres” as my dad always casually calls them. Five phyllo triangles and a vaguely Greek-style salad made out of items scrounged from the depths of the crisper draws in the fridge? Suddenly your tired lettuce, tomatoes of questionable age and the six olives left in the jar on the door are feeling pretty elevated and looking kind of snazzy.
The one reason I DON’T like these simple feta triangles is, of course, the phyllo. Biting down into those crisp, impossibly thin layers is a uniquely wonderful sensory experience, but working with the stuff to get to that point is a uniquely frustrating experience that always threatens to completely ruin my day. It’s too cold, it’s just right and suddenly it is too dry. The key, I think, is not being afraid to waste the stuff. As soon as I stop treating it like some rare commodity I didn’t get in the freezer aisle next to the vegetable medley and just buy two damn packs at once, I’m golden.
Obviously you can also do the most obvious thing and make these not for yourself on a Tuesday, but for a proper dinner party, because guests love phyllo triangles (trust me). They also freeze super well, so you can wrap them all up, stick them in the freezer and then remember them four months later on a REALLY hungry weeknight and it will be the most thrilling and gratifying feeling. Honestly, you should make these just for the opportunity to have that experience.
Ingredients
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
- 4 tablespoons evaporated milk
- 1 lb. 2 oz. (500g) feta cheese, crumbled
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- Pinch of grated nutmeg
- 5 tablespoons melted butter
- 5 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for brushing
- 1 lb. 2 oz. (500g) ready-made phyllo dough
- 1 egg yolk, beaten with 1 teaspoon water, for brushing
- Sesame seeds, for sprinkling
Instructions
- Lightly mix together the eggs, egg yolk, milk, cheese, white pepper and nutmeg in a bowl. If the mixture is thin and runny, add some more cheese. Combine the butter with the oil in a bowl.
- Lay the roll of phyllo on a cutting board and cut of a piece 2 1/2 inches wide. Keep the remaining roll tightly covered to prevent it from drying out. Unroll the cut strips and lay one on top of another, lightly brushing each one with the oil mixture. Put 1 teaspoon of the cheese filling in one corner and fold the other corner over it to form a triangle. Then fold the triangle over and over on itself to the end of the strip. Repeat the procedure with the remaining strips of phyllo.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and brush a cookie sheet with oil. Arrange the triangles on the prepared cookie sheet. (At this stage you can wrap and freeze them. Remove from the freezer 10 minutes before baking). Brush with the egg yolk mixture and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve hot.
Notes
From Vefa's Kitchen
