Galadoboureko(Sometimes known as Galaktoboureko)

We made a lovely dessert last weekend, a trial run for having some friends round this weekend.

On our travels around the Cyclades the other year we visited the island of Tinos. In the beautifully picturesque marble village of Pyrgos there were several tavernas that served what was seen as a local specialty - Galadoboureko. I think in actual fact this dish is common to a lot of areas of Greece, but perhaps Pyrgos & Tinos make the best examples.

It's basically a custard slice - a good layer of solidly thick custard layered between crispy filo pastry and - in typical Greek fashion - smothered in a sticky syrup. It's best eaten on the day it's made, but not immediately after making it. It needs to sit for several hours for the syrup to incorporate its way into the rest of the pie. Eat it too soon and the syrup is still separate and way too sickly and cloying.

The recipe is as follows, and we're indebted to this site for their version of it.

(Use the same glass for measurement throughout - i used a half pint which goes well with 2 eggs)

Syrup:

4 glasses of sugar
2 glasses water
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 stick of cinnamon

Filling:

6 glasses of milk
1 glass cornflour
1 glass sugar
2 eggs
1/2 glass of rosewater (or orange-blossom water)
1lb (450g) filo pastry
6oz (180g) unsalted butter or 1/2 glass of ground nut oil


Method:

1. First make your syrup, put the sugar, water, lemon juice and stick of cinnamon into a pan and bring to the boil for 10 minutes. Allow to cool 
2. To make the cream filling, beat the eggs and mix with the cornflour to make a paste using a bit of the milk. 
3. Heat the rest of the milk to boil. 
4. Pour a little of the hot milk into the paste, stir well, and repeat until the mixture is quite runny and smooth then pour it all back into the pan. Stir continuously until the cream is smooth, taking care not to let it burn the bottom as this will taint the flavour. 
5. Add the sugar and rosewater. 
6. Take off the heat 
7. Take 6 sheets of pastry, butter or oil in between each one and place at the bottom of a deep baking dish 
8. Then pour in the milk mixture 
9. Cover with 5 or 6 sheets of pastry again, buttering in between each one. 
10. Place into a moderate 150C oven for 1 hour, turning up heat a little at the end if it needs browning. 
11. Take out of the oven and while still hot, pour over cold syrup. 
12. To serve cut into wedges, can be eaten hot or chilled.