Kadaif Recipes

Steps:

• Open package of shredded phyllo and spread apart onto a big pan. Let dry overnight, and flip over to let other side dry.
• Spread phyllo into 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Pour melted butter evenly over top.
• Preheat oven to 280 degrees. Bake for 2 hours, until golden. Remove from oven. Let cool.
• In a saucepan combine sugar, water, vanilla sugar, cold water, and lemon slices. Bring to a simmer and stir until sugar is dissolved. Simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in additional 1/2 cup cold water to cool down syrup. Remove lemon slices.
• When phyllo is cool, pour the cooled syrup on top. Sprinkle crushed walnuts on top and set aside for about 1 hour to allow syrup to soak in. Cut into squares and serve.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Line the bottom of the springform pan with a layer of the kataifi. Bake until golden brown, 10 minutes. Then cool completely.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F.
• Place the pistachios, cinnamon and cloves in a food processor and process until the nuts are chunky and uniform in size. Do not over process. Reserve half of the nuts for a later use.
• Sprinkle the first half of the nuts over the baked pastry; spread most of the nuts towards the edges of the pan and fade to a light coating in the center of the pan. This will create a nice crust on the back of each piece when the dessert is cut and served.
• In a large mixing bowl mix together the ricotta, cream, sugar and vanilla with a large spoon. In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or by hand with a whisk, whip the egg whites to stiff peaks. Fold the egg whites into the ricotta mixture with a spatula or rubber scraper. Pour the mixture into the pan over the nuts. Sprinkle the remaining nuts on top of the ricotta mixture similar to the first time, with most of the nuts on the outer edge and fade to lightly coat the center. Spread the remaining sheet of kataifi on top of the cake, covering the entire surface.
• Bake until golden brown and the cake is set, 1 hour 30 minutes.
• Cool the cake completely.
• Pour the hot Citrus Syrup over the cooled cake, then cut and serve.
• Place the sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest and orange zest in a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil then lower the heat to medium-low and simmer until the mixture achieves a syrup consistency, 20 minutes.

Steps:

• For the kataifi: Heat oil to 350 degrees for deep-frying. Roughly chop the raw shrimp, scallops and sea bass. In a saute pan over medium heat, saute the shiitake mushrooms, cilantro, green onion, red and yellow peppers, garlic, ginger and oyster sauce. Mix sauteed ingredients with seafood. Fold seafood mixture into kataifi to create a loose nest. Deep fry until golden brown and cooked all the way through.
• For the sauce: Bring all ingredients except cornstarch to a boil. Add a little cornstarch slurry, then strain. If the sauce seems thin once it's been strained you can add a little more cornstarch slurry, but do it in a saucepan over low heat.
• Ladle sauce into a small bowl; place it on the plate alongside the kataifi crisps.
• Mix crabmeat, lemon grass, eggs, cream, scallions and season well with salt and pepper. Using a muffin tin cut small circles of puff pastry that has already been docked (pricked with a fork to allow steam to escape, thus preventing too much bubbling on the surface of the pastry during the blind baking stage). Spray the tins with cooking spray and line each one with the cut pastry. Line each tartlet shell with foil and fill with rice to help keep the shape. Bake blind (without the filling) at 350-degrees until golden, about 10 minutes. Pull out foil and bake 5 more minutes to ensure the bottom is nearly cooked through. Fill cups with crab mixture. Bake another 15 to 20 minutes until mixture solidifies and the pastry is completely cooked. Serve warm or at room temperature. PLATING Line a plate with iceberg lettuce and place tartlets on top.
• Mix crabmeat, lemon grass, eggs, cream, scallions.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Brush 12 muffin cups with butter or use silicone muffin pans.
• Pull the kataifi into 1-inch-thick bundles; cut bundles into 2-inch lengths. Place in a bowl; separate into a loose pile with fingers. Toss with butter, sugar, and cinnamon, if using.
• Divide among 12 muffin cups; press into bottom and up the sides.
• Cook until golden and crisp around the edges, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Let cool.
• Fill with jelly beans, speckled eggs or other candy eggs.

Steps:

• Crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees; pull apart the 'threads' of the kadaifi into a 13x9-inch glass baking dish, packing down lightly with fingertips; drizzle with butter and bake 40 minutes or until golden brown; remove from oven and cool.
• In small pot, combine remaining crust ingredients; bring to a boil and simmer 5 minutes; remove citrus rinds (if you don't want citrus, boil syrup with a cinnamon stick and remove); spoon syrup over kadaifi and cool.
• Custard: Combine flour, cornstarch, and sugar in small bowl; add cold milk and whisk to remove any lumps; whisk in egg yolks; strain mixture through sieve into hot milk.
• Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until it thickens; add vanilla and place plastic wrap directly on surface to prevent skin from forming; cool for 1 1/2 hours.
• Spread custard evenly over kadaifi crust; refrigerate 1 1/2 to 2 hours minimum; then top with layer of whipped cream and decorate with slivered, toasted almonds or pistachios.
• Chill well before serving.