Another little-known, huge-potential, snack-dessert, maybe-main from the mysterious Balkans… I’m in love with the basic Serbian Gibanica concept! You can almost put one of these together in your sleep. And everyone you serve it to will positively swoon…
Did I mention, you can make it savoury or sweet? Subtle or bold? Everyday or elegant? What’s not to love about Gibanica? Only one thing I can think of: it disappears too fast…
The Gibanica ‘technique’…
You’l immediately think ‘dessert lasagne’ when you get into the assembly procedure for this gem of a satisfyer. At its simplest it’s two sheets of phyllo pastry on the bottom of a well-greased baking dish. Then add alternating layers of filling and phyllo, finishing with another two or three layers of pastry.
Brush each sheet of phyllo with melted butter on its top before adding another layer of filling or pastry.
The filling’s the thing…
The basic filling is the same for either the sweet or savoury version. Savoury is traditional – by a nar-row majority of fan votes. But I think ‘sweet’ is potentially more fun! Anyway…
The filling is simply:
- 500 grams of cheese mix (your fave blend of 3 cheeses… see note below)
- 200 grams of 18% cream
- 5 eggs
Yup… You’re basically making a very rich, custardy cheesecake!
Sweet or savoury?
The difference is in the cheeses. For savoury Gibanica, use Feta, and/or other sharper, more-mature-flavoured cheeses. For a sweet version, lean toward plain, unflavoured cream cheese and other mild-flavoured choices. And add a sweetener that will give the dish a signature flavour. And/or comple-ment any inclusions you choose. But I know you’ll be making this dish over and over. So you’ll have lots of opportunity to experiment!
You can use more than 3 cheeses, but make sure the flavours actually go together well. And remem-ber that the texture of your cheese will effect the texture of your finished filling. Beware… Some cheeses can impart a gritty texture, which you definitely don’t want in this dish!
Another guide you should keep in mind is, the recipe calls for 5 eggs. That’s a lot, really – even or a cheesecake. But it lets you try a wider variety of cheeses – and still achieve the texture and intimate cheese ‘integration’ you want.
Inclusions!
Yes. Definitely… Anything you can think of that would make this basic cheesecake dessert more special – or sinful – is fair game. Think of it as a blank canvas on which to create your very own cheesecake masterpiece…
My take
Depending on the inclusions you choose, you can configure a Gibanica as anything from a simple snack to a luscious, cheesy main. Think: a classic Pepperoni Pizza versus an All-Dressed ‘Special’. Or anything in between. Think: Classic Italian, Greek, or French Herbs… Asian/Indian Exotic… Even Tex-Mex!
The only limit – literally – is your imagination…
~ Maggie J.