Greek semolina halvah
Semolina halvah is perhaps the most popular traditional sweet served during fasting periods in Greek households or in restaurants as a treat and of course it is not missing from the trapeza of Mount Athos. In the monastic recipe from Mount Athos, semolina halvah is flavored with cinnamon and citrus fruits such as orange or lemon. In most kitchens on Mount Athos, halvah is cooked in the traditional way oven a wood fire, but the result will be just as nice if you try this monastic recipe in a secular kitchen.
We heat the olive oil in a wide pan and toast the semolina until it acquires a dark, golden color.
We remove it from the heat, cover it with a towel and go to prepare the syrup.
We boil the water with the sugar, cinnamon and peel for a few minutes, until it thickens.
We remove the peel and cinnamon stick from the syrup.
We pour the syrup and raisins into the pot with the semolina and stir constantly over a very low heat.
When the halvah thickens, we transfer it to bowls or to a cake form.
When we pour the syrup, the heat must be low so that the liquid does not evaporate before the semolina has time to cook.
