This Greek fried meze, filled with hard mature goat cheese, is perfect for entertaining, and the pastry could not be easier to make. Serve as a nibble or starter.

Serves:  6 Preparation time: 1:30m Baking time: 15m Ready in: 45m

Ingredients
For the pastry
500 gr all purpose flour
3 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsps lemon juice
salt

For the filling
2 large red onions, grated
1½ cup hard mature goat cheese or parmesan, grated
2-3 tbsps spearmint, finely chopped (optional)
freshly ground black pepper
olive oil for frying

Method
Step 1
For the pastry: In a large bowl combine flour, oil and salt, adding a cup of water a little at a time (might not need the entire quantity), until you get a soft dough. Scrape dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead into a smooth, firm ball.
Return dough to bowl, cover with plastic wrap and rest for an hour.

Step 2
Meanwhile, prepare the filling: In a bowl combine well all ingredients and season with pepper. Keep in the fridge until needed.

Step 3
On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough till approximately 3mm thick. Cut into 7 cm diameter rounds using a cutter or a glass. Fill each with a little filling and fold in half, to form a half moon. Brush edges with a little water and press a fork around them to seal.

Step 4
Fry the mini cheese pies in hot oil, in medium to high heat, until golden brown on both sides. Leave on kitchen paper for 2 minutes and serve warm.