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Fromage frit (Saganaki)

Name: Fromage frit (Saganaki)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: GR
Ingredients: 400 g firm Greek cheese (Kefalograviera, Kasseri or Graviera), cut into four slices about 1.5 cm thick; 60 ml cold water, for dipping; 60 g all-purpose flour, for dredging; 60 ml olive oil (or a mix of olive and sunflower oil); 1 lemon, cut into wedges; to taste freshly ground black pepper; 1/2 tsp dried oregano (optional)

10m

Prépa

10m

Cuisson

Portions

Facile

Difficulté

Tranches épaisses de fromage grec ferme, farinées et frites jusqu'à devenir dorées et croustillantes, servies avec un filet de citron.

#greek#cheese#appetizer#fried#lemon#mezze

Portions

4portions

Ingrédients

Nutrition

calories430

protein25g

carbs9g

fat33g

fiber0g

Par portion

Étapes

Slice the cheese

Cut the cheese into four slabs about 1.5 cm thick. Pat each slice dry with a paper towel; a dry surface helps the flour stick evenly and crisp up properly instead of going soggy.

400 g firm cheese

✅ C'est prêt quand : the cheese is cut into even, dry slabs

Dip and dredge

Dip each slice briefly in cold water, then press it into the flour on both sides and all along the edges, shaking off any excess. The thin layer of water makes the flour cling in a thin, even crust rather than a thick, pasty one.

400 g cheese slices (from step 1)
60 ml cold water
60 g flour

✅ C'est prêt quand : each slice is lightly and evenly coated in flour with no bare patches

Heat the oil

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Fry the first side

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Flip and finish frying

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Serve right away

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Slice the cheese

Cut the cheese into four slabs about 1.5 cm thick. Pat each slice dry with a paper towel; a dry surface helps the flour stick evenly and crisp up properly instead of going soggy.

400 g firm cheese

✅ C'est prêt quand : the cheese is cut into even, dry slabs

Dip and dredge

400 g cheese slices (from step 1)
60 ml cold water
60 g flour

✅ C'est prêt quand : each slice is lightly and evenly coated in flour with no bare patches

Heat the oil

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Fry the first side

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Flip and finish frying

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Serve right away

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History & Culture

The Story Behind the Dish

📍 Greece📅 Traditional, popularised in 20th-century tavernas🧀 GR

The name saganaki comes from "sagani," a small frying pan with two handles that was traditionally used to cook and serve small dishes directly at the table. Over time, the pan-fried cheese cooked in it became so associated with the vessel that the dish simply took its name.

⭐ Why It's Famous

It became a staple starter on taverna menus across Greece, loved for how simple it is: just cheese, flour, hot oil and lemon, with a dramatic contrast between the crisp crust and the soft, warm cheese inside.

💡 Fun Fact

In Greek-American restaurants, especially in Chicago, saganaki is sometimes flambéed at the table with a splash of brandy and a shout of "Opa!" — a theatrical touch invented abroad that most Greeks in Greece have never seen served that way.

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