Thessaloniki bread rings and cheese Loukoumades with pomegranate marmalade and mastic foam

An innovative take on Greek breakfast!

Ingredients
For the loukoumades
325 g feta cheese
325 g anthotyro cheese
salt and pepper
30 g all-purpose flour
2 organic eggs
5 g mint leaves, finely chopped
all-purpose flour for dredgin
Olive oil for frying

For the mastic foam
1 L vegetable stock
1 ml mastic oil
2 g Lecithin

For the pomegranate marmalade
1 kg pomegranate seeds,
1 kg sugar,
juice of 1 lemon.

Serving
pomegranate marmalade
Thessaloniki bread ringmastic foam
edible flowers
assorted sprouts

Method of preparation
In a bowl, add the cheese, eggs, herbs and flour. Season with salt and pepper and knead to combine the ingredients. Shape into walnut-sized balls (if the dough is not thick enough, adjust with flour), dredge in flour and fry in hot oil until uniformly golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon onto a paper towel-lined plate, to drain off excess oil.

Add 5-6 drops of mastic oil and the lecithin to the 1 litre of vegetable stock. Let boil, reduce the heat, and beat with a hand-held mixer until the lecithin has completely dissolved. Before plating, heat slightly (not until boiling) and beat again with an immersion blender

For the pomegranate marmalade
In a heavy-bottomed pot, lay alternating layers of pomegranate seeds and sugar.
Add the lemon juice, cover and let simmer for 1.5 hours.
Boil over medium heat until the marmalade has thickened.

Serving
Cut the bread ring in two with a knife. Using a spoon, spread the marmalade on the two opened halves. Plate the cheese loukoumades, mastic foam, edible flowers and some salad greens!

Stratos Iosifellis , Chef, professor of Cooking Art, partner of “Greek Breakfast” – under the auspices of the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels