Kefalotyri is a hard, pungent cheese made from sheep’s milk in Greece. It is used in small quantities to add flavor to dishes or in larger quantities in traditional Greek dishes such as saganaki and pastitsio. It can be substituted with hard Italian cheeses or Kasseri.
Kefalotyri is a type of cheese made from sheep’s milk produced in Greece. It is typically aged for about three months and contributes to many traditional Greek dishes. The cheese typically has a hard, dry texture and a strong, pungent flavor that is believed to be comparable to Italian Parmesan. It doesn’t tend to be easily accessible worldwide; therefore, areas far from Greece may have difficulty finding it and may have to go to specialty cheese merchants.
Due to its strong flavour, kefalotyri is often used in small quantities to add flavor to dishes. If large amounts of cheese are used, it can potentially overwhelm the other ingredients in the dish. It is generally grated or shaved and sprinkled over dishes as a condiment or side dish. Because the cheese is hard, it does not tend to melt well and is not usually used as a spread or in other dishes where it is important for the cheese to be soft.
Although kefalotyri tends mostly to be used in small quantities as a condiment, it can also be used in dishes that feature it in larger quantities. A common appetizer in Greek cooking that uses cheese as the main ingredient is known as saganaki, where the cheese is cut into cubes or thin slices before being coated in flour and fried in oil until lightly browned on each side. Saganaki is typically served with pita bread as an accompaniment. Lemon juice and brandy or another type of liquor are often added to the pan to form a sauce to serve with the fried cheese. This variation is often referred to as “flaming saganaki” because the brandy or liquor ignites briefly when it contacts the hot pan.
Another traditional Greek dish that uses large amounts of kefalotyri is pastitsio. This is a casserole made mostly of minced or ground lamb meat, along with pasta and cheese. Cooked lamb is combined with cooked pasta and a creamy sauce made from flour, butter, milk and eggs. It is traditionally topped with generous amounts of grated kefalotyri cheese and cooked until the cheese is golden brown and the casserole sauce thickens.
Since kefalotyri can be hard to find outside the Mediterranean or in specialty cheese shops, there are a variety of other more widely accessible cheeses that can be substituted. The most common substitute tends to be hard Italian cheeses, such as Parmesan or Pecorino, both of which have a similar strong flavor and hard texture. Kasseri, another Greek sheep’s milk cheese, can also be used but has a softer texture and milder flavor.
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