Flair, or how not to get in a flap with filo

MAKING a rigid egg custard with all the fluidity of Vaseline or a dismal batch of fruit scones only an ancient Egyptian brickie would relish are the abiding memories of school cookery classes.

The only tip I recall from those awful “Bring a Pyrex dish” mornings was to always keep my hands cool when making pastry. Not difficult, when our classroom temperature was below zero, windows always open to allow smoke from the cremated remains of burned mince to escape.

Cookery classes have therefore been something I have strenuously avoided, agreeing with Julie Childs, doyenne of the American Pot Roast that “You should always be alone in your kitchen so no one sees your mistakes”. Or catches you cheating a bit with packet sauces, shop-bought pastry and ready-mixed Caesar salad dressing.)

But if Roddy Damalis, the owner of Ta Piatakia (‘Little Plate’) restaurant in Limassol had been my school domestic science teacher I would have given Nigella, Jamie, and Gordon Ramsay a good run for their money. Simply put, this South African-born Cypriot is a born teacher, he inspires, encourages and passes on his know-how in a simple, gentle, humorous yet highly professional manner.

Roddy also has a passion for food, something my domestic science teacher never had, and passion is infectious, as was proved last week when I and eight other aspiring pupils settled in Ta Piatakia to look, listen and learn, as he unravelled for us the mysteries of cooking with filo pastry.

This was a test class to see if there is a demand out both for established cooks to learn more advanced recipes and for separate beginners classes. Tailor-made for those who have come to terms with what to do with an egg and now need to be taught how to make a basic béchamel sauce.

Filo pastry recipes will always call for either thick sheets of filo for savoury or thinner for sweet dishes. It’s a pastry that has a reputation for being way too fragile to slap around like short crust or puff pastry, so we were instructed first on how to ‘approach’ one’s filo.

First, the pastry layers will have defrosted overnight; next we were reassured that filo is not so unforgiving as some nervous Nellies make it out to be, just so long as you keep it damp when working on a dish (covering filo yet to be used with a damp T-towel).

We also learned not to be hesitant about being vigorous when dousing it with clarified butter (or oil), even to the extent of using a sturdy painter’s decorating brush to slap on the butter, along with generous sprinklings of water prior to popping it in the oven.

Roddy taught us during the morning how to make a superb Baklava, a delicious apple ginger strudel concoction wrapped in filo. He then knocked up fresh dill and spinach pies with a creamy béchamel sauce (with optional leek filling). Next, how to make individual filo parcels filled with a savoury seafood mix.

It was a very pleasant morning spent baking, and nibbling on the tasty results; all washed down with some fine liquid refreshment, adding to the friendly and unstuffy atmosphere.

Several of the ladies and men (yes, this was a mixed sex class) had never handled filo, but after the class they were all confidently flapping their sheets into the wind, ready to rush home and start encasing everything from vegetables, fish, cheese, meat and fruit.

Roddy now intends to start a ten-week cookery course in Limassol. Classes will major on classic Cypriot and Greek cooking, but all will have his own signature ‘European twist’. There are two separate categories – one for beginners and a second for those who are a bit more advanced.

Those interested should contact Roddy at the restaurant on 25-745017, leaving your contact name and number on the answer machine, or fax him on the same number. He will then get back to you. The price for the entire course will be £180 pounds, and if you cannot make all ten classes you can delegate a friend to take your place.

Roddy’s recipe for filo seafood parcels

Makes around 15-20 depending on how much filling you use

Ingredients

2kg Hokki fish (frozen) boiled and strained (this fish is now available in most supermarkets)

500g shrimps (frozen) boiled and strained

Bunch of parsley finely chopped

1 litre Béchamel sauce

½ cup dry white wine

Water

Clarified butter/ or if preferred sunflower oil instead.

Pinch of salt

Crushed black pepper to taste.

Method

In a large mixing bowl carefully combine all the above, making sure when you fold in the fish you do not break it up too much.

Take a muffin tray (you need a bit of depth) and generously plaster it with clarified butter/or oil making sure you cover the surface rims of the tray as well.

Take your filo sheet and cut in half then in quarters.

Take two sheets and place them on top of each other, the top one angled at about 45%again liberally brush filo with butter or oil.

Make sure you are keeping the other layers of filo moist at all times, by covering with a damp T- towel.

Take your fish mixture; place a portion in the middle of each of your filo.

Now, fold up the ends of the filo into a small bag shape, nipping gently the neck of the bag to secure the fan top effect of the filo.

Put filled parcels in the tray.

Drizzle again with the butter or oil and then sprinkle generously with water then repeat till your tray is full of parcels.

Pop in the oven at 160o gas mark 3- for about 15-20 minutes until golden brown

Remove from oven, leave to rest for five-ten minutes and serve as a starter or as a savoury buffet dish.

Good tip on how to use up off cuts of the filo- put spare strips of filo, on a baking tray again drizzle with butter or oil, (and always remember the drizzling of water), then bake them.

They can then be used as tasty crouton strips for soup, in dips, or they also help make a salad nice and crunchy.