Kataifi Dough Pie with Cheese and Bechamel sauce

Step 1

Heat a saucepan to medium heat. Add 2 tbsps of olive oil and the chopped onions and sauté the onions for 3 minutes, until softened and slightly colored. Add the garlic, the mushrooms and the bacon, until most of the juices have evaporated and set aside.

Step 2

For the bechamel sauce, melt 6 tbsps of butter into a deep pan, over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk to make a paste. Add warmed milk to the mixture in a steady stream, whisking continuously, in order to prevent the sauce from getting lumpy. It is very important to add the milk a little bit at a time, in order for the flour to ‘brake’ and to absorb the milk, forming a smooth cream. If the sauce needs to thicken, boil over low heat, while whisking, for a few more minutes. The bechamel sauce for this recipe, should not be very thick, as it will thicken up when adding the cheese.

Step 3

Remove the pan from the stove and stir in the cheese. Crack in 2 eggs, 1 tsp of paprika and season to taste. Add the bacon and mushroom mix and blend well with a wooden spoon.

Step 4

Remove the kataifi dough from the plastic sleeve. Work the kataifi dough with your hands, tearing apart the shreds and gently spreading the strands out a bit if they clump together, in order to get fluffy.

Step 5

Melt the butter. Using a pastry brush, butter the bottom and sides of a baking tray (approx. 20*30). Begin by layering evenly the 1/3 of the kataifi dough, sprinkle with some butter, and on top layer 1/3 more of the dough and sprinkle with some melted butter. Tip in the filling, smoothing the surface with a spatula. Layer evenly the remaining kataifi dough on top and try not leave any holes. Gently push the surface with your hands. Brush well the top with the remaining butter. The butter helps the kataifi dough to bake and become golden and crispy.

Step 6

Bake in a preheated oven at 180, for about 75 minutes, until nicely colored. Best serve after half an hour, using a sharp knife.