Gebna Makleyah (Oven-Fried Cheese)

Gebna Makleyah (Oven-Fried Cheese)

Ingredients

• 1 cup firm feta cheese, crumbled, or traditional Egyptian cheese such as labna or gebna
• 1 Tablespoon flour
• 1 egg
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Olive oil
• Lemon wedges and pita bread cut into triangles, for serving

With very clean hands, shape the Gebna Makleyah cheese mixture into balls about one inch in diameter.

EPD Photos

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Place the cheese, flour, egg, salt, and pepper in a bowl and mix well with very clean hands.
3. Roll the mixture into 1-inch balls.
4. If the mixture seems too loose to hold the ball shape, add a little more flour.
5. If the mixture seems too dry, add a bit of lemon juice, vinegar, or water.
6. Pour 2 or 3 Tablespoons olive oil onto a cookie sheet to grease.
7. Arrange the cheese balls on the cookie sheet, rolling them around to coat thoroughly with the oil.
8. Bake 5 minutes.
9. Wearing an oven mitt, open the oven door and shake the cookie sheet to prevent cheese balls from sticking and to turn them.
10. Bake 5 more minutes, until golden brown.
11. Remove with a spatula and drain on absorbent paper.
12. Serve warm with lemon wedges and triangles of pita bread.