Saganaki is a popular Greek entrée or appetizer where different meats, vegetables, or even seafood are wrapped with cheese, panfried or broiled and served. The exact saganaki recipe may vary but the cheese appetizers have to be served on the table in the same sagani pan they were cooked in.
History of the Saganaki recipe
Saganaki was a simple method of spicing up locally available cheese by the peasant class of Greece. Locally available cheese in Greece is highly salted but very tasty. The locals started to deep fry or pan fry different varieties of cheese like kefalograviera, kasseri, kefalotyri, kashkaval, manori, or feta cheese. Although the exact origin of the recipe is unknown, most gourmands state that the dish is distinctly Turkish in origin. The word saganaki is derived from the Turkish word sagani or sahan which indicates the special frying pan that is used to prepare the dish. The dish has two handles on both side of the dish and the saganaki has to be served in this dish. A variant of this dish is also cooked in Arabia.
Ingredients and Popular Methods of Preparation of the Saganaki dish
Saganaki has to be created with a cheese that can melt without losing its shape. As a result, locally available cheeses from Greece are the best. Traditionally, the dish is created with kefalograviera, kasseri, kefalotyri, kashkaval, manori, or feta cheese. Thin slices of the cheese have to be made and then dipped in a egg wash. These slices can also be dipped in flour to get a thick coating on the cheese slice before frying. The slice of dipped cheese is then cooked till it melts and butter, lemon juice is poured over it. A few cooks also recommend pouring over wine and allowing it to flame before serving it. There are a few variations where the saganaki is cooked with tomatoes and onions to form a variety of casserole.
Serving and Eating the Saganaki dish
Saganaki recipes do vary from chef to chef. A few serve the fried saganaki with pita bread and wine as an appetizer. But it can also be served as a snack or a simple main dish. A fresh vegetable salad with thick tomato slices, and lemons is usually served on the side as an accompaniment. In restaurants in the US, chefs bring the hot bubbling cheese dish to the table and then flame it directly at the table just before serving. The dish is also called as OPA in US but it is prepared in the same way as saganaki.
Popular Variations of the Saganaki
Saganaki combintiaons can vary according to individual chef requirements. For example, a few chefs do cook the dish in a slightly different version like prawns which are cooked in a tomato based gravy and then garnished with feta cheese.
Nutritional Value of the Saganaki dish
A conventional recipe will contain flamed cheese that has been doused with lemon sauce and brandy or white wine. A single serving of 454 gms has about 484 calories. Out of that, 36 g are of fat, 16 g are of saturated fat, 165 mg consist of cholesterol, and 16 g are of carbohydrates.