Saganaki - Flaming Greek Cheese

I first had saganaki a very long time ago at a Greek restaurant in Chicago. It is a very dramatic dish since they bring it to the table flaming. The cheese used for saganaki is called kasseri, and it is one of my favorites. It's a little sharp, similar to asiago, but not overwhelming. It is especially delicious when it is heated. Saganaki is easy to make and it's certainly not necessary to flame the brandy if you don't feel comfortable doing so. You can even leave out the brandy and just make yummy melted cheese. I like to serve this with some good quality french bread, rather like a fondue.

The quantities depend on how much you want to make. This is just the basic recipe. I usually buy about 12 ounces of kasseri when I make this.

Slice kasseri into 1/2 inch slices. Coat cheese slices with flour. Heat a couple of splashes of olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. When the oil starts to get hot, add the cheese slices. Fry the cheese slices, first on one side, and them on the other, until they are golden brown. Pour in about 1/3 cup of brandy. As soon as the brandy is warm, take the pan off the heat and light the brandy with a long match. Be careful, the flames can shoot up! As soon as the flames subside, pour the juice from 1 lemon over the cheese. Serve immediately!