Upside-Down Golden Konafa with Homemade Ashta

Method

1. Put the syrup sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat, stir until dissolved, then stop stirring once it boils and cook for 8 min in total. It's ready when a drop pinched between two fingers forms a short thread. Off the heat, add the lemon juice and orange blossom water and chill it in the fridge.

   Add in this stepSugar (for the syrup) 140 gWater (for the syrup) 90 mlLemon juice 1 tspOrange blossom water 1 tsp

   medium heat

2. Clarify the butter: melt it in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and let it bubble for 10 min. Skim off the white foam; when the milk solids on the bottom turn light hazelnut brown and smell nutty, take it off the heat. Strain through a sieve lined with paper towel to keep only the clear fat. If the solids turn black, it will taste bitter, so start again.

   Add in this stepUnsalted butter (to clarify) 100 g

   medium-low heat

3. Make the ashta: in a saucepan, whisk the milk, cream, cornstarch and ashta sugar until smooth before turning on the heat. Cook over medium heat for 6 min, whisking constantly, until thick enough to hold the mark of a spoon. Off the heat, stir in the rose water, spread it in a wide dish, press plastic wrap onto the surface and chill for 30 min until firm. Cold, set ashta won't run out during baking.

   Add in this stepMilk 300 mlHeavy cream 120 mlCornstarch 24 gSugar (for the ashta) 20 gRose water ½ tsp

   medium heat

4. Preheat the oven to 180 °C with a rack in the lowest position. Snip the kataifi into 2 cm lengths with scissors, put it in a large bowl and pour over about four-fifths of the clarified butter. Rub it through with your fingertips for about 5 minutes until every strand is coated.

   Add in this stepKataifi (shredded pastry), thawed 150 g

   oven

5. Brush the remaining butter generously over the bottom and sides of a 18 cm round pan. Add about two-thirds of the kataifi and press it very firmly with the bottom of a measuring cup over the base and up the sides; this side becomes the top when you flip it. Spread the cold ashta inside, leaving a 1 cm border, cover with the rest of the kataifi and press it flat and firm.

6. Bake on the low rack in the oven for 35 min. Heat from below gives the flipped top an even, deep golden colour. Lift an edge with a spatula: when the bottom is deep brown, it's done.

   oven

7. Let it stand for 3 min, run a knife around the edge, place a serving plate on top and, wearing oven gloves, flip it over in one quick move. Spoon the cold syrup slowly over the top so it soaks in, scatter a ring of pistachios around the edge and serve warm.

   Add in this stepPistachios, finely chopped 20 g