Herb Phyllo Crisp Food

PHYLLO CRISPS

Steps:

• Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Have a second baking sheet ready.
• Combine the orange zest with the sugar in a small bowl, using your fingertips to rub the orange zest into the sugar to release its essential oils. Add the cinnamon and cardamom and mix to combine.
• Place 2 sheets phyllo on the parchment-lined baking sheet. (When working with phyllo, always keep a clean, moist kitchen towel over the stack of dough that you're not handling. Phyllo is very thin and will dry out quickly, becoming brittle and impossible to work with.) Using a pastry brush, gently apply a thin layer of melted butter to the top sheet of phyllo and sprinkle liberally with some spiced sugar. Place another 2 sheets phyllo dough on top of the first layer and press lightly. Brush with a little more melted butter and sprinkle with more spiced sugar. Then top with 2 sheets phyllo and, once again, lightly brush with butter and sprinkle with spiced sugar. You may have some leftover spiced sugar.
• Completely cover the layered phyllo with damp paper towels or plastic wrap to prevent the fragile phyllo dough from drying out and cracking and refrigerate until the butter returns to a solid state, at least 10 minutes. (Don't worry, the sugar didn't stick to the damp paper towels, even though we thought it might.)
• Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C).
• When the butter is solid, remove and discard the paper towels or plastic wrap. Using a pizza cutter or a very sharp knife, cut the layers into approximately 2-inch (5-centimeter) squares. Cover with a sheet of parchment paper and the second baking sheet to weight the phyllo for baking- this ensures that they puff just enough to be flaky while still maintaining a crisp, linear look.
• Bake the phyllo crisps for 10 minutes. The crisps should be lightly browned, especially along the edges. Remove the top baking sheet and rotate the bottom baking sheet 180°, then bake for another 10 to 12 minutes, until the crisps become evenly golden, crisp, and flaky.
• While the crisps are baking, place the honey in the microwave for 20 seconds or in a small saucepan over low heat for 1 minute. You want the honey to be warm and runny and spreadable.
• Immediately after removing the phyllo crisps from the oven, brush them with the warm honey and sprinkle with a pinch granulated sugar (or, if desired, any leftover spiced sugar). Let cool at room temperature. The crisps are best served fresh that day but can be covered with parchment paper and kept overnight at room temperature.

PHYLLO CRISP OYSTERS WITH REMOULADE

Steps:

• Make the Remoulade: Remove the shell from the egg, and chop it or run it through the large holes of a box grater. Whip the creme fraiche to medium peaks and add the egg, chives, capers, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Make the Oysters: Mix the water into the tempura flour and refrigerate. Shuck the oysters and set aside. Reserve half of the shells for presentation and scrub them clean. On a clean work surface, lay out the shredded phyllo.
• Heat the vegetable oil in a medium-sized pot to 350 degrees F. (To check without a thermometer, drop a small amount of the tempura batter into the oil--it should sizzle quickly rise to the surface.) Adjust the burner to keep the temperature constant.
• Working with 1 oyster at a time, dredge in flour, dip in the tempura mix, and then roll around in the shredded phyllo to completely cover. Fry the oysters, turning them occasionally with a fork, until lightly browned. Using a slotted spoon, transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle with salt.
• On a tray large enough to accommodate all of the oysters, form a bed of rock salt, peppercorns, and seaweed. Place the cleaned shells on the tray, spoon a dollop of the remoulade into each one, and top with an oyster.

FETA-AND-HERB PHYLLO TART

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit/200 degrees Celsius.
• Brush one of the phyllo sheets lightly with melted butter and place, butter side-up, in a 9-inch/25-centimeter round tart pan. Press the pastry into the corners and then brush another sheet of phyllo in the same way, pressing it into the pan at a 45-degree angle to the first sheet. Continue twice more (using 4 sheets total), covering the base and sides of the pan with a uniformly thick layer of phyllo. Trim the overhanging pastry, but not completely, leaving 1/2-inch/1 centimeter of phyllo over the edges of the tart. Set both the pan and pastry scraps aside.
• Take another sheet of phyllo (unbuttered this time) and position the long side in front of you. Fold the bottom edge up to form a fold 1 inch/3 centimeters wide. Continue folding the pastry in alternating directions (as if you were making a concertina fan) until you end up with 1 long pleated strip. Repeat with the remaining sheets of pastry in the same way. (If the pastry breaks or tears, pat it back into place and continue as if the torn pieces were still connected.)
• Starting from the middle of the tart tin, coil 1 folded strip from the middle outwards to start forming a rough snail, spreading the strips roughly 1/4 inch/1/2 to 1 centimeter apart. (You want visible gaps between the phyllo strips, so you can fill them with chunks of feta and the custard.) Meet the end of the pastry with the second strip and continue the snail in the same way until the 4 sheets have been used. You may still have some space around the edge, which you can fill with the scrap trimmings, folding them in the same way as best you can.
• Brush the pastry carefully with remaining butter and set any pastry coils upright if they've fallen over. Place tart pan on a baking sheet and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until the pastry is a dark golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside to cool for 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, mix feta, pecorino and herbs until blended and set aside.
• In a separate medium bowl, whisk together eggs, cream and milk with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a good grind of pepper.
• Gently press cheese and herbs in between the gaps of the phyllo pastry, being careful not to break the pastry base. Pour the custard over evenly, drizzling in just a little at a time and allowing it to soak evenly into all the gaps in the pastry. Bake for 25 to 28 minutes, until the custard has set and the cheese has browned. Remove from the oven and serve warm, cut into slices.

GREEK ZUCCHINI AND HERB PIE

Steps:

• Grate the zucchini using a food processor or a hand grater. Place in a large colander, salt generously, and let drain for 1 hour, pressing down on it occasionally to squeeze out liquid. After an hour, take up handfuls and squeeze out moisture (or wrap in a kitchen towel and twist the towel to squeeze out the moisture). Place in a bowl.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy nonstick skillet over medium heat, and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, about five minutes, then add the garlic. Cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, about one minute. Transfer to the bowl with the zucchini. Stir in the herbs, feta, eggs and pepper.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 10-inch pie or cake pan. If using phyllo, line the pie dish with seven pieces of phyllo, lightly brushing each piece with oil and turning the dish after each addition so that the edges of the phyllo drape evenly over the pan. Fill with the zucchini mixture. Fold the draped edges in over the filling, lightly brushing the folded in sheets of phyllo, then layer the remaining five pieces on top, brushing each piece with olive oil. Stuff the edges into the sides of the pan. If using the olive oil pastry, divide the dough into two equal pieces. Roll out the first ball to a circle 2 inches wider than the pan. Line the pan with the pastry, and brush with olive oil. Top with the filling. Roll out the remaining dough. Place over the filling. Press the edges of the top and bottom layers of dough together, and pinch to form an attractive lip around the edge.
• Make a few slashes in the top crust so that steam can escape as the pie bakes. Score in a few places with the tip of a knife, and brush with olive oil. Bake 50 to 60 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown. Remove from the heat, and allow to cool 15 to 30 minutes or to room temperature. Slice in wedges and serve.

GOAT CHEESE, CHARD AND HERB PIE IN A PHYLLO CRUST

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil while you stem and wash the Swiss chard. If the stems are wide and meaty set them aside for another purpose. If they are thin and sinewy, discard. When the water comes to a boil salt generously and add the chard leaves. Fill a bowl with cold water. Blanch the chard for 1 minute, just until tender, and transfer to the bowl of cold water. Drain, take up the chard by the handful and squeeze out excess water. Chop medium-fine. You should have about 1 cup chopped cooked chard.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Blend together the eggs and goat cheese, either in an electric mixer or in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the milk and the garlic and blend until smooth. If using a processor, scrape into a bowl. Stir in the blanched chopped chard, the herbs, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Brush a 9- or 10-inch tart pan or cake pan with olive oil and place on a baking sheet for easier handling. Open up the package of phyllo and unfold the sheets of dough. Remove 8 sheets of phyllo and fold the remaining dough back up. Wrap tightly in plastic, return to the box if you wish and either refrigerate or freeze. Lay a sheet of phyllo in the pan, tucking it into the seam of the pan, with the edges overhanging the rim. Brush it lightly with olive oil (or melted butter and oil) and turn the pan slightly, then place another sheet on top, positioning it so that the edges overlap another section of the pan's rim. Continue to layer in 6 more sheets of phyllo, brushing each one with oil - both the bottom and the sides and edges that overhang the pan -- and staggering them so that the overhang on the rim of the pan is evenly distributed and covers the entire pan.
• Pour the goat cheese and chard filling into the phyllo-lined pan, scraping all of it out of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Scrunch the overhanging phyllo in around the edges of the pan to form an attractive lip. Brush the scrunched rim with olive oil. Place in the oven and bake 40 minutes, until the filling is puffed, set and lightly colored on the surface. Remove from the heat (if it puffed up it will settle) and allow to sit for at least 10 minutes before cutting. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

PHYLLO PECAN CRISPS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• In a food processor grind pecans with sugar until finely chopped. In a piece of parchment paper on a work surface arrange 1 phyllo sheet and brush with some butter. Sprinkle phyllo sheet evenly with half of pecan sugar and top with a second phyllo sheet, some butter, remaining pecan sugar, and remaining phyllo sheet, pressing down gently with your fingers and brushing with some butter. Slide a baking sheet under parchment and chill phyllo 10 minutes.
• Transfer phyllo with parchment to a cutting board and with sharp knife cut stack lengthwise into 2-inch-wide strips, cutting through parchment and discarding excess. Cut each rectangle diagonally in half and transfer triangles on parchment to baking sheet, separating triangles slightly. Cover triangles directly with another parchment sheet and bake in lower third of oven 15 minutes, or until golden. Cool crisps on baking sheet on a rack. Crisps keep in an airtight container at room temperature 1 week.