This is my family recipe for kopton, or also known as bakalava, that was our go to dessert for feast days. For the below, I use a 380mm by 250mm by 24mm baking pan. Will usually make for around a hundred diamond shape servings.
Ingredients,
3/4 cup pistachio nuts, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups ghee, divided; plus more for greasing the pan
16-ounce phyllo dough, prepped into around twenty sheets to fit the pan.
For the Syrup,
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup honey
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons lemon juice
The cooking steps.
Preheat oven to 177 C. Grease baking pan. In a bowl, combine pistachio nuts and 1/2 cup of the ghee.
Take eight sheets of phyllo dough and layer them in the greased pan, brushing each sheet with melted butter as you go.
Spread about half of the nut mixture over phyllo dough.
Cover with six sheets of dough, brushing each with ghee as you layer.
Add remaining nut mixture and top with remaining sheets of phyllo dough, brushing each sheet with ghee.
Using a knife, cut into desired diamond shaped portions.
Bake for fifty minutes or until golden brown on top.
While kopton bakes, combine sugar, honey, cinnamon, and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, making sure that sugar is completely dissolved.
Reduce heat and allow the mixture to simmer for five minutes. Allow syrup to come down to room temperature before using.
When kopton is done, take it out of the oven and allow it to cool.
Once syrup is tepid, drizzle it on top of kopton. Let kopton rest for 6 to 8 hours so it soaks up syrup and flavors develop further.
Storing note,
Kopton can be kept at room temperature for up to ten days. Don’t cover it or wrap it tightly because the phyllo dough will become soggy, taking away the characteristic crispiness of the dessert. Place it in a plastic or glass container with a lid.
Really makes for a wonderful treat any time of year. Often my grandmother would have some about to give as a treat to a child receiving their first Vitoc treatment, as a reward for being brave and devout despite the scary injection.
2 high quality hamburger bun or make them yourself.
400g minced amarrian pure bred cow
white mayonaisse
Nduja sauce from freeholders farms.
Salt
pepper
Your bestest amarrian cheese. Cream cheese, cheddar cheese no matter as long it melts and you like the taste.
Hot pan
Lettuce, onions, colesaw, bacon and/or other vegetables as you like your hamburger
Mix mayonnaise and nduja sauce together. Make as strong mixture you like. Remember to taste so you find your righteous mixture. Mumble the prayer of succesful field kitchening.
Make 2x 200g minced mean beef to wait and put salt and pepper on other side. Praise the throne and give thanks for you ability to afford meat.
Heat flat end of bum in pan. Pray for protection against fires of hell
Smear now red mayonnaise to the flat end of the flat end of the bun. It should be also warm or hot. Also add vegetables. You may also heat or fry them now if you so like. Bow to the icon on your wall.
Heat round end of the bun and after that smear now red mayonnaise to it. put it to the plate to wait. Bow to the icon on the wall.
Fry non pepper and salt side of the beef(s) and turn around. Add pepper, salt and finally cheese when beef is almost ready. Let it melt. Salute the amarrian flag on the wall.
Build your hamburger and eat it. Thank the heavens.
Take a baking sheet with raised edges to contain grease.
Lay bacon strips out on the sheet, flat and not overlapping.
Put the sheet in a cold oven.
Bake at 425F / 220C. Start checking at 12 minutes for thin bacon and 15 minutes for thick bacon. I usually stop at 17 for thin bacon and 21 for thick bacon. Bad ovens could take 10+ minutes longer to heat up.
The difference between raw, chewy and crunchy is only like 2 minutes each. It will be more crunchy after grease has drained from it.
Drain on a wire rack and/or paper towels.
Don’t pour the melted grease down your drain or it will cause clogs. Put it in a paper cup to solidify then throw it out or fry eggs in it.
Shoot 2 duck per eater. Very small child can have 1. If slaver-hounds take part hunting, 0,5 ducks goes to them.
3 potatoes per eater. Slaver hound+2
Boil potatoes until they are soft
Make large amount of sticky brown sauce. In very large kettle, fry butter, add amarrian wheat to make stickiness and then water. Add ducks meat.
Salt
Pepper
Juniper berries.
whole peppers
More butter
heat until meat deliciously part from bones and salute the flag on your wall.
Call hunting group to cottage and serve. Hounds can eat outside if it is not raining.