Galaktoboureko

Ingredients

• 1 litre whole milk
• 200 g caster sugar
• 150 g fine semolina
• 4 large eggs
• 80 g butter, for the custard
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 12 sheets of filo pastry
• 180 g butter, melted, for brushing
• 400 g granulated sugar, for the syrup
• 300 ml water, for the syrup
• 1 strip lemon peel
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 cinnamon stick

Before you cook

• Make the syrup first so it has time to cool completely
• Melt the 180 g of butter for brushing
• Zest the lemon and beat the eggs
• Bring the filo to room temperature in its wrapping
• Butter a 33 by 23 centimetre baking tin

Steps

1. Put the granulated sugar, water, lemon peel, lemon juice and cinnamon stick in a saucepan.
2. Bring the syrup to the boil, then simmer for 6 minutes without stirring.
3. Take the syrup off the heat and leave it to cool completely, which will take about an hour.
4. Warm the milk with the caster sugar in a heavy pan over medium heat until steaming.
5. Pour in the semolina in a slow stream, whisking hard the whole time.
6. Cook for 7 minutes, whisking without stopping, until the custard is thick and glossy.
7. Take the pan off the heat and beat in the 80 grams of butter, the vanilla and the lemon zest.
8. Cool the custard for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
9. Beat the eggs into the custard a little at a time, working quickly so they blend in smoothly.
10. Heat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius.
11. Lay seven sheets of filo into the tin one at a time, brushing each with melted butter and letting the edges hang over the rim.
12. Pour in the custard and spread it level.
13. Fold the overhanging filo in over the custard and brush it with butter.
14. Cover with the remaining five sheets, buttering each one and tucking the edges down the sides of the tin.
15. Brush the top thickly with the last of the butter.
16. Score the top layers into 12 diamonds with a very sharp knife, cutting only through the pastry.
17. Bake for 55 minutes until the surface is a deep even gold.
18. Take the tin out and immediately ladle all the cold syrup slowly over the hot pastry, working across the whole surface.
19. Listen for the hiss, which tells you the pastry is taking the syrup up rather than sitting in it.
20. Leave the galaktoboureko for at least 3 hours before cutting all the way through and serving at room temperature.