The Silk Thread

Ingredients

• 8 sheets filo pastry
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 100 g feta cheese
• 1 cucumber
• 2 red onions
• 200 g cherry tomatoes
• 1 red chili pepper
• 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons capers
• salt and black pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2. Cut the filo sheets into long strips about 3 cm wide.
3. Brush the strips lightly with olive oil, twist them gently into tight, thin sticks and place on a baking tray.
4. Bake the filo sticks for 8-10 minutes until golden and crisp.
5. Slice the cucumber into thin half-moons, the red onion into thin rings, quarter the cherry tomatoes, and slice the chili into thin rings.
6. Mix the vegetables with capers, white wine vinegar, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
7. Roughly crumble the feta over the salad.
8. Divide the salad over four plates, creating some 'depth' for the filo sticks to lie over.
9. Lay two filo sticks diagonally across each plate, like a taut wire.
10. Serve immediately, so the sticks stay crisp.

Serving notes

• Balance the filo sticks just off-center, so they really look like a precarious thread.
• Serve with extra lemon wedges for those who want even more tang.