Greek Custard Slice

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This will feed an army and they'll all want more! This luscious dessert will take some time to make and set before it's ready to serve - don't attempt to make this on the day you want to serve it to guests.

Ingredients

• 2 litres milk
• 1 1/2 cups semolina
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 vanilla bean
• 4 eggs

Split a vanilla bean and place the seeds into the milk for the custard.

Place milk in a very large saucepan and bring to simmering point then remove from heat.

Add semolina a little at a time, stirring with each addition.

Once semolina is incorporated, return to a medium-low heat and stir until the mixture boils and thickens. Simmer for five minutes, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

Beat eggs and add to milk mixture with the sugar. Mix well and allow to cool completely.

Remaining ingredients

• 500g fillo pastry
• 80g butter
• 80g olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 1 tablespoon rosewater
• zest of one lemon
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/4 cup lemon juice

Melt butter and mix with olive oil for brushing between layers of pastry.

Lay fillo pastry flat and using your baking dish as a guide, cut pastry sheets a little larger than the dish.

Grease dish well, then place one layer of pastry in the dish, brusing well with melted butter and oil mixture.

Continue layering until half the pastry is used.

Pour cold custard over pastry and spread evenly.

Continue as before with pastry layers, then place baking dish in refrigerator and allow to chill completely (this will take several hours).

Cut into 7.5cm diamonds or squares with a very sharp knife.

Bake in hot (200 deg C) oven for 15 minutes, reduce heat to moderate (180 deg C) and bake a further 30-40 minutes until dark golden brown.

Mark along cut lines with a sharp knife again.

Place sugar, water, zest, honey, lemon juice and rosewater into a saucepan and stir over a low to medium heat until sugar is dissolved.

Bring to boil and boil for 3 minutes. Remove zest with a slotted spoon.

Drizzle syrup slowly over slice, allow to cool and refrigerate overnight.

Notes

This dish takes about 24 hours before it's ready to eat as it needs time for the syrup to soak into the pastry. you'll also need a very large (at least 25cm x 28cm) baking dish for the slice.

Allow the fillo pastry to thaw completely while you make the custard.