by Tania 6 Comments
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
This is a twist on one of my favourite Greek dishes. Fried cheese with honey. This baked feta in filo with honey and lemon is often called a Tiropita or cheese pie. It is very quick to make but wow is it good!
If you are looking for a quick starter (made in a small version) or a share dish before a meal then this is for you.
Saganaki- The fried cheese dish everyone loves is what this is based on. It’s not always easy to find the semi hard cheese most often used in Greece to make this dish that I ordered in pretty much every restaurant. Greek cheese here is also quite expensive. But, if you can find some kefalotyri or kefalograviera, graviera or kasseri then you can make classic fried Greek cheese without the filo wrap. You just need to dredge the cheese in flour and fry. It’s heavenly.
BUT the cheese is hard to find. SO, here is my easy to manage version
What is Filo?
Filo or Fillo or phyllo pastry is quite cheap and very versatile. The word Filo (phyllo) in Greek means sheet or leaf. Because it is used so much there are many stories and great debate over the origins of this pastry but Greece claims it was first made on her shores. This food history is probably not surprisingly debated by the Turks who can trace it back to the Ottoman Empire.
The thin paperlike dough is used in many Middle Eastern countries as an everyday staple. When layered and brushed with butter or oil and then baked it makes for a truly delicious meal. You’ll find filo in the pastry section of the supermarket. In most shops, it’s sold frozen, because this makes it easier to transport without breaking it.
You can make all kinds of exciting things with a packet of filo. From snacks and pies to desserts. The rules are when using it keep it covered so it doesn’t dry out and crack into a million pieces. If you want more recipes using filo just let me know
Greek Feta wrapped in crispy baked Filo pastry is a really great substitute for Saganaki. This version of a cheesy starter is called Tiropita, tiro meaning cheese and pita meaning pie or a kind of cheese pie. Greeks are crazy about these cheese stuffed pastries. You will find literally dozens of “pies” or pita filled with cheese. As I said before, you can make this toasty package in a smaller version for individuals or you can make larger ones to share. This recipe will make 2 larger ones or 6 small. Whatever size you make them they are more than easy.
All you need is one or two of these pies to serve 4-6 people. They are traditionally cut into squares, drizzled with honey and most essentially a squeeze of lemon. You can add sesame seeds, oregano leaves and like me, truffle honey if you wish, to vary the flavours.
These crunchy little parcels may look kind of familiar because if you added spinach they could become a “Spanokopita”. This simple version takes no work at all, and it’s a salty, sweet, sour delight just as it is with that slice of Greek feta inside.
How to make Tiropita with Feta
Add some fancy folding if you like to add crunch and texture
I can’t even begin to tell you how amazing salty melted feta is with honey. And what? A drizzle of lemon just stop me eating it all!!
I saved some very special honey for this Greek inspired dish. It’s an organic Truffle Honey from Greece!! I get it online at The Grecian Purveyor. I love reading stories about all the producers <3. Greek truffle honey is more than perfect for this dish
Please share this recipe on Pinterest or Facebook if you like it. AND take a photo of your dish and tag me #mykitchenstories on Instagram or @MyKitchenStories1 on facebook
Tiropita. Baked feta wrapped in filo with honey and lemon
Deliciously crunchy feta parcel with a filo wrapping served with honey and lemon
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Course Appetiser, Cheese, Entrée, Appetiser, Canape
Cuisine Cheese
Servings 6
Ingredients
- 375 gm filo pastry 1 packet. Wrap and save the rest.
- 250 gm Feta Greek
- 150 gm butter melted
- 100 gm honey I use Truffle honey you could use any honey you like
- 1 lemon Cut into wedges
- 20 gm sesame seeds to sprinkle before baking or to add when serving
Instructions
Set the oven to 180C. Line a baking tray
Chop the butter into small pices and melt. Set aside.
Open the feta and drain. Cut into even sized pieces approx 1 cm. (a bit under 1/2 inch) You will get 6 slices from 1 packet. This is enough to make 3 share sized Tiropitas or 6 smaller ones
Open the filo. You will need about 3 pieces of pastry from the packet cut into 2. (approx 25 cm x 6 cm) (10inx 6in). You should have 2 pieces in layers of three.
Line up one of those pieces of pastry on the bench in front of you. Cover the others with a tea towel or plastic wrap. Paint each layer with a light coating of butter and stack them back on top of each other. Place 3 slices of feta beside each other in the middle. (If making smaller ones just use 1 piece)
Fold the pastry around the feta and seal by painting with some butter. Cut off any excess. You can sprinkle them with sesame here before baking or garnish with sesame when you serve them. This is an optional extra
Bake the filo in the oven till golden and crisp. This will take approx 15 to 25 minutes depending on your oven
Serve imediately drizzled with honey. Cut into pieces at the table and add a squeeze of lemon. Heaven!
Notes
Filo pastry dries out very quickly. It goes crispy and is hard to use. You will find you need to work quickly. Once the packet is open re wrap the extra bits as quickly as possible so you can use it later.
You may notice that the pieces I used where a bit broken up. I had a packet in the freezer that I defrosted. It had been used before so was a bit broken. No matter I just pieced my pies together and stuck them with melted butter. Just make sure all the cheese is well covered.
Despite how it looks you do not need to be heavy handed with the butter. Just paint it on layers lightly.
The parcels can be made ahead and baked when needed up to 1 day ahead. Keep airtight in a container with a lid. They are best made and baked the same day though
To make the scrunched up fancy buts, just push together one small piece of filo like crumpling a piece of paper. Paint this lightly with some butter and bake either on top of the parcel or separately. These scrunched bits tend to cook faster than the parcels so keep an eye on them. You may need to take them out of the oven and set them aside while you bake the parcels till golden on top.
Keyword cheese, greek
