serves
12
prep
25 minutes
cook
1:10 hour
difficulty
Mid
serves
12
people
preparation
25
minutes
cooking
1:10
hour
difficulty
Mid
level
Ingredients
For the syrup
- 600 ml water
- 750 g sugar
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
For the custard
- 6 small eggs
- 250 g sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 250 g fine semolina or rice flour
- 1 litre full cream milk
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 400 g filo pastry (ready-made is fine)
- 250 g unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
To make the syrup, place the water, sugar, lemon zest and juice in a saucepan over low heat. Stir with a wooden spoon to dissolve the sugar, then gently bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Leave to cool.
To make the custard, beat eggs and sugar together until thick. Stir in lemon juice, semolina and milk. Transfer to a heavy-based saucepan over low-medium heat. Stir constantly, when mixture is thick, remove from heat and stir through the butter. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
Preheat oven to 180ºC. Oil a medium sized rectangular baking dish and layer half the sheets of pastry in it one by one, brushing each with melted butter. Make sure the pastry covers the sides of the dish.
Pour on the custard, then layer over and butter the other half of the filo pastry.
Mark slices in squares of 5 cm by cutting through the top layer of pastry. Sprinkle with water and bake for 45 minutes.
When cool, pour syrup over and cut into slices.
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
