Galaopita is known throughout Greece as a comforting family style treat. The pie is not overly sweet and is often enjoyed for breakfast with a coffee or as a snack. It is also an Easter favourite, after the long weeks of lent when eggs and milk are forbidden during strict fasting.
When travelling through Greece, I have been lucky enough to try a traditional galaopita made with sheep milk and butter. It was heavenly and I would definitely recommend sheep milk products, if you are able to source them easily. Goat’s milk is also a popular choice for this dish, but it does give a stronger ‘farmhouse’ flavour as compared to sheep milk. You can also use cow’s milk, which is more common in Greek-Australian homes.
The pie is softly scented with lemon zest and vanilla, but you can also use the zest of a whole orange or steep in a little saffron for a golden coloured pie.
Greek milkpie (Γαλατόπιτα)
Ingredients
- 4 tea cups (1 litre) your preferred milk
- 1 tea cup fine semolina
- 1/2 tea cup organic caster sugar
- 4 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla bean paste or 1 vanilla bean
- 1 lemon zest only
- 1 tbs your preferred butter
- Cinnamon to serve
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 180C. Prepare the 20cm pie dish by greasing with olive oil and sprinkle with a little semolina. Set aside.
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In a seperate bowl, mix the fine semolina, sugar, 1 tea cup (250ml) of cold milk, 3 eggs, vanilla and lemon zest until it forms a smooth custard.
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In a heavy based pan, heat the remaining 3 cups of milk until warm. Then, slowly add the warm milk into the custard mixture and mix until smooth in the bowl.
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Then transfer the mixture back into the heavy based pot that you used to warm the milk. Place the pot on a low heat and stir with a wooden spot until the mixture thickens (about 10 - 15 minutes). You must keep stirring, otherwise the custard may stick to the bottom of the pot and burn.
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Once the custard has thickened, remove the pot from the heat. Add the butter and continue to stir through until the butter melts. Let the custard cool slightly and then pour into the prepared pie dish.
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In a seperate bowl, beat the remaining egg and gently brush over the cooled custard. Place in the preheated oven and bake for around 45 minutes or until the top of the pie browns nicely. Set aside and serve at room temperature with a good dusting of cinnamon.
