Episode 1 Saganaki Flaming Cheese

Luxe Chef with Chef Spencer Hinkle is all about a luxe epicurean experience with an easy to follow video recipe. It's about sharing the delight of cooking good food. Spencer has teamed up with photojournalist Dale Sanders to produce these videos. Luxe Chef also appears on luxebeatmag.com, and Facebook at Spencer's Food and Music.
Today's Recipe is Saganaki, the flaming cheese appetizer.
Video Overview:
Introduction: Description and brief history of Saganaki.
Ingredients: Description of the ingredients, alternative ingredients and the cooking equipment needed for success.
Flambe Safety: Demonstration and discussion of strategies for safe and effective ignition of alcohol.
Cooking: Step by step demonstration of the cooking process
Reward: Brief discussion of how the recipe. is served.
Recipe:
Serves 2
Prep and cooking time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
1/2 inch thick slab of Kefalotyri or Kasseri cheese (Approx. 4oz.)
¼ cup water
½ cup All Purpose Flours
1 ½ Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 oz of Brandy
½ Lemon
Small bunch of flat leaf Italian Parsley with medium chop
Fresh French baguette
Equipment:
Small cast iron skillet or oven safe skillet
Long neck lighter
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350º
Preheat cast iron skillet on burner set to medium high. Brush water on both sides
of the cheese, dredge in flour, and shake off excess. When pan
begins to smoke, pour in olive oil and carefully add the cheese slab. Cook
cheese for approximately 2 minutes, then carefully turn it over and transfer pan to
preheated oven for approximately 3 to 4 minutes.
Remove skillet with cheese, and place on trivet or heat-proof surface. Pour
Brandy over cheese and carefully light with a long neck lighter. Say “OPA”!!
(It means JOY)
and extinguish the flame with lemon juice and eat immediately using bread to sop up the
pan sauce.
Enjoy!