Ladotyri and Saganaki

           

I love cheese more than anything else in this world. My father said it was the first word I ever uttered. Seems like a stretch, but possible.

Anyway one of my absolutely favorite Greek dishes is saganaki. It is often listed on the menu as fried local cheese. So, this tells you a couple of things. Primarily, the milk the cheese was made with will be sheep or goat, because no cows out here on the island. Secondly it' probably been made by a local with their own family cheese recipe.

For a while now I've been researching what specific cheese is best for saganaki. I think I have finally found an answer. Hold onto your hats because there is a Greek language lesson in here somewhere. I promise it will be painless.

Ladotyri is best. Notice I didn't say ladotyri cheese, because I would be repeating myself. Lado means oil in Greek, and tyri means cheese. So the word literally means oil cheese. Ick. Right? In this case the oil is the method of preserving the cheese, like feta's brine.

Sheep's milk is preferred because it is softer and creamier, but up to thirty percent goat is okay. No cow milk because it will make the cheese rubbery, as will higher percentages of goat's milk.

Saganaki is ladotyri, lightly battered in flour and egg, and then fried. Always served with a wedge of lemon. Goes great with a nice Sauvignon Blanc.

Try to make your own. Don't know how hard it will be to find ladotyri though.

More soon.