Kataifi Nests Recipes

KATAIFI NESTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Brush 12 muffin cups with butter or use silicone muffin pans.
• Pull the kataifi into 1-inch-thick bundles; cut bundles into 2-inch lengths. Place in a bowl; separate into a loose pile with fingers. Toss with butter, sugar, and cinnamon, if using.
• Divide among 12 muffin cups; press into bottom and up the sides.
• Cook until golden and crisp around the edges, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Let cool.
• Fill with jelly beans, speckled eggs or other candy eggs.

MORELS ROSENTHAL IN KATAIFI NESTS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 300 degrees. On a nonstick baking sheet or a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, form each bunch of kataifi strands into a circle about 4 1/2 to 5 inches in diameter, allowing some strands to form the bottom of the nest. Melt 3 tablespoons butter, and drizzle over the kataifi. Sprinkle the fresh herbs on top. Bake until lightly golden and crisp, about 15 minutes. Set aside at room temperature. (Nests may be made up days in advance if stored in an air-tight container and kept cool.)
• In a large saute pan over a medium flame, heat 2 tablespoons butter and add onion and bell pepper. Saute until slightly softened, about 1 minute. Add morels, and stir. Reduce heat to low, cover pan, and allow morels to braise for about 15 minutes.
• While morels are braising, prepare a roux: in a small saute pan over medium-low heat, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Add flour, and stir with a wooden spoon until smooth. Continue stirring until roux is golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Add salt, sugar and soy sauce to the morels, and stir well. Bring liquid to a simmer, and stir in just enough roux to thicken the sauce. All of the roux may not be needed; the mixture will continue to thicken as it stands.
• To serve, place the kataifi nests on four serving plates, and fill each with morels. Serve immediately.

KATAIFI WITH CANDIED PUMPKIN AND YOGURT

Steps:

• Drain yogurt in a sieve lined with a dampened paper towel or coffee filter and set over a bowl 1 hour, then discard liquid and stir drained yogurt and 1 1/2 tablespoons honey together in a small bowl until honey is dissolved.
• While yogurt drains, bring water, granulated sugar, lemon zest and juice, cinnamon, and remaining cup honey to a boil in a 3- to 4-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then add pumpkin and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer pumpkin, covered, until tender but not falling apart, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer pumpkin to a bowl using a slotted spoon, then boil syrup until reduced to about 1 1/2 cups, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Stir together butter and confectioners sugar until combined well. Gently pull apart strands of kataifi in a large bowl to loosen, then toss with butter mixture and almonds until coated well. Divide kataifi among 12 muffin cups and press into bottoms and halfway up sides of the muffin cups, creating nests. Bake kataifi until the outsides are golden, 12 to 18 minutes (check by gently lifting one out of a muffin cup with a paring knife or small offset spatula), then cool completely in tin on a rack.
• Transfer kataifi nests to serving plates. Just before serving kataifi, spoon about 1/3 cup pumpkin into each nest, then drizzle each with about 1 1/2 tablespoons syrup and top with a tablespoon of yogurt.