Galaktoboureko

1. Make the syrup first by combining the water, 1 cup of the sugar, a strip of lemon peel and the orange zest in a saucepan, then boil for about 6 minutes until lightly syrupy and set aside to cool completely, because cold syrup poured over hot pastry keeps it crisp.
2. Heat the milk in a pot until it steams, then rain in the semolina while whisking nonstop and cook over medium heat for a few minutes until it thickens into a loose porridge.
3. In a bowl, beat the eggs with the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and the vanilla until pale, temper them with a few spoonfuls of the hot semolina, then whisk the mixture back into the pot and cook gently for about 2 minutes until thick and glossy, without letting it boil hard.
4. Brush a baking dish with melted butter and layer in about half the phyllo sheets, brushing each one with butter and letting the excess hang over the edges.
5. Pour in the warm custard and spread it level, fold the overhanging phyllo back over the top, then layer the remaining buttered sheets on top and tuck the edges in neatly.
6. Score the top layers into portions with a sharp knife and bake at 180 C for 45 to 55 minutes until the phyllo is deep golden and crisp and the custard has set.
7. The moment it leaves the oven, ladle the cooled syrup evenly over the hot galaktoboureko, then let it rest for at least 2 hours so the syrup soaks all the way through before cutting and serving.

You'll use: Oven · Saucepan · Pan · Large pot · Whisk