Saganaki with Sesame and Honey

I love the combination of sweet + salty in a dish. Watermelon and fetta was the original sweet­salty treat for me, I loved it as a child and I still enjoy it to this day! I also grew up eating a lot of honey. My Dad was a carpenter and also a beekeeper, which was not so cool when you’re a kid. Inevitably I would run around the backyard getting chased and sometimes stung by bees. Over time I became so used to being stung that I would flick off the stingers without parental intervention! Despite the slightly traumatic associations, I also still enjoy honey to this day.

Greek cheese is quite salty and I like to find ways to play with this. One of my occasional sneaky treats is a chunk of kefalotyri (salty Greek hard cheese) with a very strong, small, sugary coffee. It’s a Salty, Bitter n’ Sweet party!

Traditionally saganaki is served with a wedge of lemon (which is yum!), but this version is one of my favourites to share with other savoury mezedes, or with a salad. It must be eaten hot so that when it hits the table everyone can cut off a piece together; after that the table usually falls instantly silent, all you’ll hear is a murmur of ‘mmmmmmmmm’.

Method

Place a frypan over a medium heat.

Pour beaten egg into a flat plate. Dip cheese into egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds and black sesame seeds.

Add a good splash of olive oil into the frypan, add cheese and fry on each side until golden and toasted.

Serve hot with ground black pepper a drizzle of honey.