Gibanica

Gibanica is a Serbian white cheese pie made with filo pastry. My grandma showed me how to make it years ago. She is not the best cook, but she definitely knows how to make amazing gibanica and burek. I am sure that each grandma has their own way of making it, but this one is just how we were always making it.

I never tried to make filo from scratch, I just use the one from store. It's available in almost any supermarket nowadays and the simpler are ingredients the better.

You can use different fillings, if you are not a fan of white cheese. I make it sometimes with spinach, mince meat or a sweet version with sour cherries (not sure if that's still gibanica though).

Today I will share a recipe for the classic cheese version, but unfortunately pictures won't match perfectly, because I made half or it with mice for my partner (plant based this time, we just had some in the freezer). I am hoping to replace them fairly soon, when everything goes back to normal and we will be able to go to shops more frequently. :)

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Recipe is for 4-6 portions, 23x23 cm tray.

Ingredients :

500 g full fat curd cheese*

250 g full fat Greek yoghurt (or natural yoghurt)

2 eggs

3 tsp fine sea salt

250 g of filo pastry (12 sheets)

100 g unsalted butter (room temperature)

* It's easy to find in Polish shops. Alternatively you can use cottage cheese, but remove as much liquid as possible, if it's quite loose.

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Preheat the oven to 180'C (fan) and coat a 23x23 glass or metal tray with a fair amount of butter.

Method :

1. Place the cheese, yoghurt and eggs in a bowl. Mash the cheese into fine pieces with a fork and combine it well with other ingredients. Add salt and mix it well.

2. Take the buttered tray and place first sheet of filo pastry on the bottom. You can fold the excess pastry to the inside or leave it out until you finish with all the layers - that's how I do it, it gives you lovely, flaky top. Place few small pieces of the butter on the top and cover with second sheet of pastry.

3. Now it's time for the filling. Use 1/4 of the cheese mix and cover it with a sheet of pastry. Then place few bits of butter on the top and cover with another sheet of pastry. Next it's time for the second quarter of the filling. Repeat until you use all of it.

4. For the top layer place one sheet of filo on top of the cheese and place some butter on it. Fold all the excess pastry from the sides into the middle. Place some butter on the top and then place the last sheet of filo pastry to cover it all.

5. Bake it in the oven for 35-45 minutes, until golden-brown.

Serve it hot or room temperature.

Enjoy!