Gibanica

This is one of my favourite Serbian dishes. It requires few ingredients, it is simple to make yet you will never find two that taste the same. This is my dads recipe for Banica and is how I like to prepare it too. 

Ingredients for 4-8

500gr phyllo dough for gibanica

2 eggs

250gr cottage cheese

250gr creme fresh

1dl yoghurt

1,5dl olive oil

2dl sparkling water

Salt

Caster sugar for serving

Process

In a bowl, combine the eggs, cheese, crème fresh, yoghurt and salt.

In another bowl combine the olive oil and water.

Cover bottom of an 23x38cm oven dish with olive oil and water mixture, 2-3tbsp.

Take a sheet of phyllo and place it to cover the bottom of oven dish, fold over the rest of it.

Sprinkle over 1-2tbsp of olive oil and water mixture. Take another sheet of phyllo and place it over the first one, again, fold over the rest of it. Sprinkle over with 1-2tbsp of olive oil and water mixture and 1-2tbsp of cheese mixture. Continue layering a sheet of phyllo, then sprinkling olive oil and water mixture and cheese mixture until almost all of it is used up and there is one sheet of phyllo left. Cover the layered Gibanica with the last sheet of phyllo, make sure it goes down the sides and around all the layers. Sprinkle over with olive oil and water mixture and spread it with the back of the spoon so that the whole surface is covered.

Place Gibanica in 180 C preheated oven and bake between 40-50minutes or until golden brown and crispy on top. Check it after around 30minutes when usually top sheet will rise up due to the air inside. Using a fork or a knife make a whole on top and release the air.

Cut in squares, serve hot or cold, as is or with a sprinkle of caster sugar on top.

Enjoy!

M