[Sca-cooks] poppyseeds?

[Mairi Ceilidh]

<snip>


> Still talking about Byzantium, Henry Marks may have mentioned poppy seeds
as
> well in 'Byzantine Cuisine'. It's at home, I think he actually gives out a
> recipe for a poppy seed and honey sweet. I'll check this out tonight.
>
<snip>
>
> Petru
>
>
Here it is with my version of Marks' redaction:

Koponlazoutos

"Koukoule [P. Koukoule, Byzantinon Bios Kai Politismos, Collection de
l'Instute Francais D'Athenes:  Athens, 1952, Volume V, Chapters 1 and 2.]
tells us that Koponlazoutos are made from blanched, crushed almonds, honey,
pepper, sesame and poppy seeds placed between two sheets of phyllo dough and
baked."

1/2 lb. phyllo sheets
butter, melted
1/8 lb. poppy seeds
1/8 lb. sesame seeds
1/2 lb. blanched almonds, ground
1/2 t. pepper
3/4 C. honey

Butter pan.  Butter and layer four phyllo sheets.  Mix poppy seeds, sesame
seeds, almonds and pepper.  Sprinkle a layer of this mixture.  Repeat layers
until nuts are gone, end with phyllo layer.  Cut into diamonds.  Pour over
any remaining melted butter.  Bake at 375 for 25 minutes; reduce heat to 350
and bake an additional 20 minutes or until browned to the desired shade.
Thin honey with a little water to form a thin syrup, which is poured over
warm pastry.  Cool before serving.

Alternately, after assembling first layer, roll phyllo around nut mixture to
form a log.  Cut into half inch slices and bake.  Drizzle with thinned
honey.

I used this for a feast in April.  Not much left over.  Very good.  Do not
succumb to the temptation to put some sort of sweetener in the nut/seed
mixture.  It doesn't need it.

Mairi Ceilidh