Fillo triangles
with poached pears

ingredients

• 2 cups milk
• ½ cup semolina
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 200 g feta cheese
• 4 sheets of phyllo dough
• 100 g melted butter

Poached pears
• 4 semi-ripe pears
• 3½ cups water
• 3 cups granulated sugar
• Juice & zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 cloves
• 1 star anise

Instructions

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine milk, semolina, butter and vanilla and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens. Set the cream to cool for 10 minutes. Once cooled, add the eggs, feta cheese and mix well.

Preheat oven to 180°C. Place a sheet of fillo dough on a flat, clean surface and brush with butter. Cover with a second fillo sheet and brush with butter. Cut into 4 strips and place 1-2 tbsp of cream at one edge of each of the fillo strips and fold into triangles. Repeat with remaining fillo sheets.

Bake for 15 minutes, until the fillo goldens.

For the poached pears
Peel and halve the pears as evenly as possible and set aside. In a large pot, add the water, sugar, vanilla, lemon rind, lemon juice, cinnamon sticks, cloves and star anise. Cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and add the pears.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 20 minutes, until you can easily pierce the flesh of the pear with a knife or fork. Be careful not to overcook the pears. When ready, place the pears and the juices in a bowl and allow to cool for an hour or two.

Serve the fillo triangles topped with half a pear and some syrup.

Tips
To create the fillo triangles, begin by folding the lower left corner diagonally to the right edge, aligning the edges along the right side. Fold the lower right corner upwards keeping the sides aligned with the right edge. Once again, fold the right corner diagonally up to the left edge of the strip. Fold the triangle upwards along the left edge. Repeat until you have a triangle. Trim off any excess fillo.