Celebrity TV Chef UK Cypriot Loulla Astin is teaching us how to make Pishies.
Loulla is based in Manchester has a appeared on TV in eggs and baker, This morning and even had her own series Simply Greek.And was voted Granada TV woman of the year in 1995.
She was born in Avgorou, Cyprus and lived most of her life in Manchester where she has a restaurant Kosmos Taverna, the restaurant has been listed in the Egon Ronay Guide and the AA top 500 restaurants
You can find her on you tube HERE
PISHIES/ ΤΗΓΑΝΙΤΕΣ
Cypriot Old Fashion Pancakes
Pishies’ are traditional Cypriot village pancakes, also known as Millopites, (milla is pork fat, do not confuse with apple)They were very famous, in Karpasi, North of Cyprus. They are a very easy dessert to make using only a few ingredients that everybody had in their kitchens in those times. For many generations the children of Cyprus including me, have eaten and loved this type of pancake. The dough is very easy to make ,and they are rolled and shaped into round discs, deep-fried in vegetable oil or lard, until golden, then they are drizzled with honey and cinnamon and sometimes with chopped nuts. They are as popular today as they have always been and can be often found at village weddings, when the mother-in laws to be make them to offer to their guests.
Makes 10 medium 15 small
225g plain flour
225g self-raising flour
½ tsp. salt
75g (3oz) lard or vegetable fat Trex or Spry
250ml lukewarm water
1 tbsp lemon juice
For brushing
25g (1oz) melded lard or spry for brushing the pastries
caster sugar for sprinkling on the pastries
ground cinnamon
Vegetable oil for frying
For topping
runny honey
ground cinnamon
finely chopped almonds or walnuts ,optional
Method
Place the flours and salt into a bowl and add the lemon juice,lard or vegetable fat.Rub the vegetable fat with your fingers and gradually add the water, mix the dough and knead lightly until smooth. You could use a food processor to make your pastry. Shape into a ball, cover with a cling film and let it rest for 30min.
Shape the pastry into a large fat sausage/salami shape, and cut into 10 or 15 equal size portions.
Shape each portion into balls then roll each one out thinly on a lightly floured board into round shapes. Smother the discs all over with melted fat and sprinkle with a little cinnamon and sugar, then roll them into thin ropes, stretching them a little. Take both ends of the rope from both ends and twist in the opposite direction, then bring both ends together and and push one on top of the other, then press them down with the palm of your hand. (This is done so the pastry puffs up like puff pastry) With a rolling pin, roll out gently into a round pancake, and repeat with the rest of the pastry. Keep them on a tray lined with baking paper, cover with cling film until ready to use.
Heat oil in a deep frying pan to approx 2inch dip, cook pancakes one at a time until bubbles appear on the top, flip over and fry the other side until lightly brown on both sides. Lift out the pancakes and drain on kitchen paper.
Stack the pancakes on a plate and drizzle each one with honey and cinnamon, eat warm or cold with a Greek coffee.
Loulla’s recipe
