KNAFEH WITH ORANGE BLOSSOM HONEY AND SAFFRON
Notes: Knafeh is a traditional Middle Eastern dessert (specifically consumed in countries of the Levant such as Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, etc.) made with a spun filo pastry called kataifi. The shredded kataifi is layered with cheese or other ingredients such as clotted cream, pistachio, or other nuts.
Where to find kataifi: You can find kataifi at you local Arabic markets, however you can also order it online. I used a brand of kataifi that is really nice quality and made in Turkey (available on Amazon), click here: Eastanbul Dried and Chopped Kataifi. It does not need to be frozen and comes already chopped so requires little processing.
The name knafeh may refer to the spun pastry itself or to the entire dessert dish. In Turkish, the string pastry is known as tel kadayıf, and the cheese-based dessert that uses it as künefe. In the Balkans, the shredded dough is similarly known as kadaif/cataif, and in Greece as kadaifi. It is the basis of various dishes rolled or layered with it, including dessert pastries with nuts and sweet syrups.
In this version there is no bright orange food colorant (even though it’s pretty), it’s not necessary and adds no taste. The sugar based syrup (attar) that is used to sweeten knafeh is often flavored with orange blossom water and/or rose water. Since these are very floral tastes I decided to make it a little less so by using local orange blossom honey in lieu of sugar and floral waters. To up the ante a bit I also decided to to use saffron (which is very much a Persian spice and not traditional). Saffron is the dried stamens of thousands of crocus flowers (hence why it is the most expensive spice in the world by weight) and it has a bright but subtle flavor. Saffron still has a floral essence, but it is almost sweet, and not at all dominating. Another change I made is the cheese. The very melty, stringy cheese that is typically used is an Arabic cheese called akkawi, and I used fresh mozzarella and ricotta to emulate this. Also mozzarella and ricotta are a bit more accessible. This dish is simple to make, as long as you’re not trying to make you own kataifi, and packed with delightful texture and flavor with a buttery, crunchy outside, melty inside, and only moderately sweet. What’s not to love?
*If you decide to use saffron something to know is that the pigments are mostly water and not fat soluble. So if you want the saffron pigment to come out grind the saffron with a mortar and pestle then pour a few tablespoons of boiling water onto it and mix it and allow it to extract. I did not do this and I directly added the saffron to the butter so I did not get much saffron color, but I got a lot of saffron flavor, as delicate as it is.
Knafeh will keep well in the fridge for several days and you can quickly reheat it in the microwave to revive the melty cheese texture.
Prep time: 25 mins, Total time: 1 hr and 10 mins
Equipment:
Food processor
Pie plate or tarte tatin dish
Knafeh with orange blossom honey syrup and pistacchio garnish
Ingredients:
Organge blossom honey (if you can’t find it you can use others): 3/4 cup (177 mL)
Water: 3/4 cup (177 mL)
Lemon juice: 1 tsp (5mL)
Salt (I used pink Himalayan): 1/4 tsp
Fresh mozarella: 350 g
Ricotta: 150 g
Kataifi: 460 g
Unsalted Butter: 2 sticks (225 g)
Shelled pistacchios (either raw or roasted and lightly salted are ok): 1/3 cup (65g)
*Optional saffron: 1 tsp
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Honey syrup: To a saucepan add the water and honey. Bring to a boil on medium-high heat (~2 mins) then immediately turn off and add the salt and mix then cover to prevent evaporation. Once the mixture has cooled completely add the lemon juice.
Cheese: Cut the fresh mozzarella into small pieces and measure the ricotta.
Shred the kataifi: If you use the same brand of kataifi as me it will already come chopped up and you will only need to pulse it in a food processor a few times for seconds to get a finely shredded texture.
Mix kataifi and butter: If you are using saffron add it to the butter before melting the butter in a microwave (for ~60 seconds) or in a small saucepan. *Also, if using saffron see '“Notes” section about how to make the pigment come out if you want more color. In a large bowl mix the kataifi and butter together until the kataifi is completely coated.
Assemble the knafeh: Butter or oil your baking dish on the bottom and sides and add half of the kataifi. Compact each layer of kataifi as much as you can. Using a plate that is slightly smaller than your baking dish and pressing down helps to create even layers. Add the mozzarella and ricotta keeping a rim of at least 1/2 an inch (~1 cm) kataifi showing around the perimeter. Add the rest of the kataifi and press down firmly again.
Bake and plate: Bake for 40-45 mins until golden brown. While the knafeh is baking finely chop up the pistacchios so they will be ready for garnish. Allow the kataifi to cool for 5-10 mins before flipping it onto your serving dish. Pour the cooled honey syrup all over the top. Garnish with pistacchios. Cut and serve warm!
Pouring the orange blossom honey syrup on the still warm knafeh.