Saganaki
In Greek cuisine, saganaki is any one of a variety of dishes prepared in a small frying pan, the best-known being an appetizer of fried cheese. It is commonly flambéed in North America.
Etymology
The dishes are named for the frying pan in which they are prepared, called a σαγανάκι, which is a diminutive of σαγάνι, a frying pan with two handles, which comes from the Turkish word sahan, itself borrowed from Arabic صحن.Description
The cheese used in saganaki is usually graviera, kefalograviera, halloumi, kasseri, kefalotyri, or sheep's milk feta cheese. Regional variations include the use of formaela cheese in Arachova, halloumi in Cyprus, and vlahotiri in Metsovo. The cheese is melted in a small frying pan until it is bubbling and generally served with lemon juice and pepper. It is eaten with bread.Other dishes cooked in a saganaki pan include shrimp saganaki, and mussels saganaki, which are typically feta-based and include a spicy tomato sauce.