A traditional savoury crepe-like recipe from the Peloponnese
We have previously posted photos on our Facebook page of our dad making plakopites. Reading through the comments, we heard from so many people who were asking (begging) for the recipe, so we anticipate that this is going to be a pretty popular post. Most individuals told us that they remembered their parents or their grand-parents making these savoury crepe-like treats, which are typically served in a pile with grated mizithra and a bit of olive oil between each one. Many of the comments also suggested that this was a recipe people had forgotten about; plakopites are pretty regional, common in the Peloponnese, and very old-school fare.
We’ve never seen plakopites on a restaurant menu, and have rarely found a recipe for them in a cookbook or online. And so, we are so happy to be able to share this classic, and humble recipe with you all. And although we are thrilled to know that many of you have been anxiously anticipating this post, the truth is, this recipe is mainly for our brother.
Our big brother Nick has been a huge supporter of Mia Kouppa, right from the beginning. Along with putting together our first videos, he has read every post (we assume!), appreciated every photo (we imagine!), shared all of our Facebook posts (right??!!), tried every recipe (ha!) and told each of his friends to follow Mia Kouppa (we hope!). And in turn, all he has asked for is this recipe. His favourite! So here you go brother. Plakopites for the people, but especially for you.
Helpful hints
Did you know we have a Youtube channel??? It’s true! (Click here if you don’t believe us!) Truth is, we are kind of lonely over there. The reason we bring it up is to beg you to subscribe mention that even if you don’t feel the need to watch us making some of our recipes, when we really feel that a video demonstration is helpful, we embed it right into our post…as we’ve done here. We think that it’s very helpful to watch how we pour the batter into our crepe pan. We are not the experts that our parents are, but after a while, we got the hang of it. Don’t be frustrated if your first few (dozen) plakopites look more like ink blots than circles. Practice does make near-perfect.
Another little video which we think is helpful is the one where we show you the consistency of the batter; as you can see, it is very thin. Knowing that flours vary, you may need to adjust the quantity of water you add until you get the batter just right. If you add too much water you may find that your plakopita sticks to the bottom of your pan, despite the fact that you oil it. Add too little water and your batter will be too thick and will not spread into the even, thin layer that you want. Start with the recipe as we have written it, and if it is not perfect for you, adjust as needed.
The perfect plakopita is very thin and has a bit of a crunchy edge all around its perfect round shape. There tend to be areas which are more browned than others, but overall the plakopita should have a slightly toasted colour.
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Looking for more recipes that are specific to the Peloponnese? How about these:
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Plakopites
Equipment
- Crepe pan
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 1/2 cups water
- 1/3 cup Greek olive oil
- 1/3 cup grated dry mizithra
Instructions
- In a medium size bowl whisk together the flour and the salt to combine well. Slowly pour in the water and whisk continuously until your batter is thin and there are no lumps. (See video here.)
- Using a pastry brush, coat your crepe pan with olive oil and heat over medium heat.
- While your pan is heating up, measure out 1/2 cup of your batter into a measuring cup which has a spout.
- Remove your pan from the heat and slowly pour the batter in your measuring cup into your pan. Do this slowly and carefully, tilting your pan as you go so that your batter spreads evenly and covers the entire crepe pan. (See video for a demonstration).
- Return your pan to medium heat and cook your plakopita for at least one minute and then use a spatula to flip it over. Cook for an additional minute or so. You may need to flip your plakopita several times to ensure that it is cooked through (this is quick as they are so thin) and browned on both ends (see photo).
- Transfer your cooked plakopites to a plate and repeat the process until you have used up all of your batter.
- Once you have made all of your plakopites, take another dish or serving platter and transfer your plakopites, one at a time. On the top of each plakopita, brush on some olive oil and sprinkle with the grated mizithra cheese. Top this with another plakopita and repeat the process, ending with brushed on olive oil. and grated mizithra.
- To serve, you can cut through your pile of plakopites into quarters (as shown above) or even into smaller pieces if you prefer.
- Enjoy!
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