Semolina custard filo pie with icing sugar and cinnamon (Bougatsa)

1. Bring the milk to the boil with the scraped vanilla pod and half the sugar, then sprinkle in the semolina while stirring constantly and cook for 4-5 minutes until thick.

2. Take off the heat and stir in 30 g butter; whisk the eggs with the remaining sugar until frothy and stir them little by little into the slightly cooled custard.

3. Butter a dish of about 25×35 cm and lay in half the filo sheets, brushing each one with melted butter, letting the edges hang over.

4. Spread the custard on top, fold over the edges and cover with the remaining sheets, also buttered; score the top into portions with a sharp knife.

5. Bake at 180 °C for 40-45 minutes until golden and crisp on top, then leave to cool for 15 minutes.

6. Serve lukewarm, cut into squares and dusted generously with icing sugar and cinnamon.

Tip: Bougatsa is Thessaloniki's legendary breakfast, sold in bakeries from dawn. It's best lukewarm; reheat leftovers briefly in the oven so the pastry crisps up again.