Keftedes flavoured with ouzo and Mytilene giouzlemedes

Keftedes and giouzlemedes (fried cheese pies) from Mytilene - Can you think of better appetisers for your ouzo?

Materials

For the keftedes

½ kilo of ground beef
One large onion pureed
Four thick slices of bread crumbs, soaked and squeezed well
One egg
One shot of ouzo
4-5 tsp. parsley, chopped
1-2 tsp. olive oil
One tomato, grated
olive oil for frying
flour for frying
oregano
salt, freshly ground pepper

For the giouzlemedes

3 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup olive oil
1 cup water approx
1½ cups ladotiri, grated
½ cup fresh myzithra
Two onions finely chopped
Two tsp. of dill
2-3 eggs
olive oil for frying
salt, freshly ground pepper

Procedure

Step 1

For the keftedes: Knead all the ingredients except for the mixture and leave the mixture for 1-2 hours in the refrigerator.

Step 2

Then, shape it into small keftedes, which you flour and fry in hot oil. Take them out with a slotted spoon and leave them on absorbent kitchen paper to drain. Serve them hot or lukewarm.

Step 3

For the giouzlemedes: Mix the flour, olive oil, and salt in a bowl and add the water little by little—slightly lukewarm—until you have a firm and elastic dough. Divide it into balls, place them on a floured baking sheet, and put them in a warm place for 1-2 hours. Then, sprinkle them with starch and open them into thin sheets. Cut them into square pieces.

Step 4

Mix the remaining ingredients for the filling in a bowl. Put some filling in the middle of each square piece and fold the four corners towards the centre, forming an envelope. Glue the sides together with water. If you want, cut them round and fold them into a crescent.

Step 5

When you are done with the giouzlemedes, fry them in hot oil until they turn brown on both sides. Serve them warm.

Tips

If you don't have much time to prepare homemade phyllo for the giouzlemedes, use commercial phyllo.