For the first time ever, I spotted saganaki cheese in the supermarket! Yay! One of my very early memories from when Chris and I were first going out, was our trip to Rhodes in Greece. We hired a little suzuki jimny and drove around the island, taking in the sights. I remember seeing an old lady tending to her tomato plants, then plucking a few of the large juicy tomatoes out of her bucket and squeezing the juice into her mouth for a bit of refreshment on a sweltering day. We fed the scraggly little kittens at the harbour just outside of Rhodes old town. We walked up the steps to the acropolis in Lindos and we drove to little market stalls that sold a very, very strong boozy honey spirit. ….and then we ate that beautifully simple dish of fried saganaki with a sprinkle of lemon juice, whilst sitting in a tiny little shabby cafe that smelled of chips.
Blissful memories. I can still remember the taste of the saganaki, and I’ve thought about making it at home so many times over the years. Unfortunately, no matter where I shopped, I just couldn’t find the right cheese.
I’ve heard suggestions from people to use halloumi, and although I love fried halloumi (erm halloumi burgers? yesss!), it’s just not right for saganaki. The cheese needs to be one that has a high melting point, but still softens during cooking, whilst going crispy on the outside. It needs to retain its shape, but still be smooth and a little chewy. It also needs to be salty. I finally found Kafalotyri cheese in Ocado, and the feeling was akin to that feeling when you put on your too-tight jeans and they fit perfectly. (Although it you eat too much of this stuff that ain’t gonna happen!) When I found it, I was reminded of that little old lady with her tomatoes, and it just felt like the perfect combination. A juicy tomato and bread salad with chunks of salty saganaki. Yum x 1 million.
The Panzanella Salad with Saganaki Recipe:
