During the stop in Corfu with Costa Venezia on March 5, 2019, we had lunch at “Ta Kokopia“, an excellent restaurant in the city center.
The menu was extensive, and the choice was difficult… we love Greek cuisine… so we started with a classic: feta, in two versions, fried (saganaki) and baked. Both recipes are part of what are called mezedes (snacks) in Greece.
In the case of fried feta, the name derives from the small pan in which this dish is fried, called saganaki.
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 1 serving
- Cooking methods: Oven, Frying, Air Frying
- Cuisine: Greek
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 7 oz Feta
- as needed Breadcrumbs
- 1 Egg
- as needed Salt
- as needed Extra virgin olive oil
- 7 oz Feta
- 1 Tomato
- Kalamata olives (or pitted black olives)
- as needed Extra virgin olive oil
- as needed Oregano
Preparation
Pat the cheese dry with a paper towel. Whisk the egg in a small bowl, add a pinch of salt (very little since feta is already quite salty), and cut the feta (you can slice it horizontally or into triangles, it shouldn’t be too thin). Dip each piece of feta first in the egg and then in the breadcrumbs, repeat the process twice to achieve a double coating. Pour the extra virgin olive oil into the pan and heat it well, the oil is ready when a bit of breadcrumbs sizzles immediately; fry the breaded cheese pieces in the oil just long enough to turn golden on both sides. And here’s your fried feta (saganaki) ready to be served immediately with salad and a slice of lemon or accompanied by honey or sweet and sour sauces.
Wash the tomato and slice it.
Slice the Kalamata olives.
Take a sheet of foil (or parchment paper): arrange one or more tomato slices and form at least two layers of horizontally sliced feta and tomato, on which you will place the olive slices, oregano, and a drizzle of oil.
Close the packet and bake for 15 minutes at 320°F, preferably in a terracotta dish.
Do not let the feta melt completely, it should remain firm but softened.
Once cooked, serve directly in the terracotta and you can accompany with pita bread.
If desired, you can garnish with sliced green pepper. 
You can also cook the feta in the air fryer (see video above) for a lighter fry.
Notes
The feta is the most famous Greek cheese, made from fresh sheep’s and goat’s milk. In Greek, the term “feta” means “slice”, and indeed, the cheese is processed into large rectangular blocks that are then cut into slices of various sizes for consumption and sale. Despite the presence of lactose, thanks to its processing, it is also suitable for a Fodmap diet like mine. The Kalamata olive is the fruit of a cultivar of olive tree typical of the Messenia area in southern Peloponnese (Greece), named after the main city, Kalamata. The fruit is used as a table olive, preserved under vinegar or in olive oil.
Find the VIDEO RECIPE here:
What does saganaki mean?
Saganàki (in Greek σαγανάκι?) is a culinary preparation based on cheese.
The name derives from the preparation technique itself, which uses a slightly concave special pan with two side handles, called a sahan in Turkey.
In practice, it consists of frying the cheese, usually graviera or κefalotiri, but also formaela, feta, and a traditional Cypriot cheese: halloumi.
As an appetizer, saganaki is served accompanied by ouzo or another alcoholic drink.
Check out my review of the COSORI CP158-AF air fryer.
You can buy the air fryer on the COSORI website with a 15% discount using my discount code VIAGGIANDOCOSORI15.
