Tart with Kadaifi pastry filled with leeks and prunes

An unusual and very tasty tart using Kadaifi pastry instead of the classic phyllo sheets or other pastry. A delicious recipe which can become one of the dishes you can serve during the Holiday season but of course it can also be served any other time

Recipe of Dina Nikolaou,

a prominent Head Cook and restaurateur

"Gastronomos" magazine of "KATHIMERINI" newspaper (2009)

Ingredients (for 8 people):
250gr. kadaifi pastry
2 tbsp of olive oil + 1 tbsp for greasing

For the filling:
1 tea-cup of prunes, finely chopped
1 pot of Greek yoghurt (about 150gr.-200gr.)
5 medium leeks (the white and the green tender part), cut in 2cm. slices
3 tbsp of olive oil
2 eggs, beaten
1 tea-cup of Greek Kefalograviera cheese, grated (or other semi hard/semi salted cheese)
1/2 tea-cup of fresh dill, finely chopped
1/4 tsp of ground allspice
salt
pepper

For the crust:
2 eggs, beaten
200ml fresh milk
3 tbsp of Greek yoghurt

Method:
In a bowl mix together the prunes with the yoghurt, stir, cover with some cling film and leave in the fridge for later.

In a medium pot put the leeks, salt, pepper and 2 tbsp of water. Sauté for 3-4 minutes in medium heat until they lightly wilt. Then add the oil and sauté the leeks stirring with a wooden spoon for 3-4 minutes. Take the pot off the heat and leave the leeks for 2-3 minutes to cool down a bit.

Add in the pot with the leeks the yoghurt/prunes mixture, the beaten eggs, the cheese, the dill, the allspice, salt and pepper and stir well to blend the ingredients.

Preheat the oven to 200°C.

Lightly grease a round oven pan with the 1 tbsp of oil (and not a dish for tarts) of 24cm-26cm diam.

Gently pull apart the Kadaifi threads using your fingers.

Lay the pastry to well cover the bottom (without pressing it down) and the sides of the pan (the sides might get half covered) and then drizzle on top with the remaining 2 tbsp of oil.

In a bowl beat the milk with the yoghurt very well. Add the eggs and beat again.

Empty the filling on the pastry and spread with a spatula. Pour over with the milk/yoghurt/eggs mixture and score the tart into 8 triangle pieces, so the crust mixture will run through and reach the pastry at the bottom of the pan.

Cover the pan with cling film and leave in the fridge for 40 minutes to help the pastry to absorb the liquids and fluffen up a bit.

Put in the oven and bake for 45 minutes, until the crust on top is golden brown and shining.

Serve the tart while it is still hot or lukewarm.