Sirnica
December 18, 2009
Come on, you know you’re interested despite the funny name!
As usual, I’ve taken some liberties with the original recipe. May the gods of sticking to a formula forgive me.
Sirnica
- 1 package fillo dough
- 1lb cottage cheese (mine was small curd, fat-free–but feel free to improvise)
- 2 eggs
- 1 large onion, chopped
- a handful of dill, chopped
- salt to taste (1/3 teaspoon is a fine starting point)
- olive oil
- Saute the onion until it’s soft and translucent and luscious.
- Loosely whisk the eggs; add cottage cheese and salt.
- Fold the onions and dill into the egg+cheese mixture.
- Ok, ready to layer? This is where you are allowed to get a bit grumpy. I sure do. (And then I remember my own grandmother, who made her own fillo dough once a week… and I go from feeling grumpy to feeling like a bit of a loser).
- Actually, the rest is quite easy. After you oil the bottom of the baking dish, you will: a) put down a sheet of dough; b) brush it with olive oil; c) repeat… until you have approximately 5 sheets down.
- Top with 1/3 of the egg+cheese mixture.
- Add another 4-5 sheets of dough (don’t forget the olive oil).
- You get the idea: another 1/3 of egg+cheese goodness, another 4-5 sheets of dough… The top layer should consist of 4-5 layers of dough and 1 sacrificial sheet that’s going to protect the loveliness underneath while it’s in the oven.
- Bake at 375F for ~45 minutes.
You’re probably thinking, “Hey, this is a lot like baklava.” Oh, this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to things my people can stick between layers of fillo dough! The possibilities are endless.
