Pasteli from Andros
Pasteli can be safely stored for some time in metal containers or wrapped in sheets of gelatin. Good pasteli shouldn’t be hard or brittle, but pliant and stringy when pulled apart.
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EmailIngredients:
- 2 cups of honey
- 1 cup of water
- 4 cups of walnuts, roughly chopped
- ½ cup of multi grain rusk, crushed
- grated rind of 2 lemons
- a little anthotiro cheese (or ricotta)
- 200 gr of sesame seeds, browned
- bitter orange or lemon leaves, for serving
Procedure:
Roughly chop walnuts.
Crush grain rusk.
Brown sesame seeds.
Combine the walnuts with the grated rind and crushed rusk.
Combine the honey and the water in a pan over medium heat and bring to a boil: cook until mixture thickens and becomes elastic.
To see if the syrup is the right consistency, drop a teaspoonful of the mixture into a glass of cold water.
Remove from the water and roll into a ball.
If the ball is too soft, allow the syrup to cook for a few minutes more and test it again.
The syrup is ready when the ball is firm, like elastic (take care, however, not to overcook otherwise it will caramelise).
Immediately add the walnut mixture to the syrup and stir quickly.
Sprinkle a marble work surface with rose water and follow with a liberal sprinkling of sesame seeds; spread the walnut mixture over the top, forming it into a square or rectangle, about 1cm thick.
Moisten hands with rose water or dip a spatula into same and smooth the top.
Sprinkle with plenty of sesame seeds and press well into the surface.
Allow to cool a little and when still slightly warm, use a sharp knife to cut into long strips and then diagonally to form diamonds.
Serve on washed and dried bitter orange or lemon leaves.
