Honestly, there’s not much that’s better than fried mozzarella with something sweet drizzled on top. In Santorini I tasted a dish like this, but made with feta; here I’ve substituted smoked mozzarella, which has a similar salty flavor but is a bit creamier. The smokiness plays off the sweetness of the figs beautifully.

　　

Ingredients

6 servings

　　6 sheets phyllo dough, defrosted if frozen

　　6 ounces smoked mozzarella cheese at room temperature, cut into 6 sticks of equal size

　　Vegetable oil, for deep frying

　　8 ounces dried figs, stemmed and quartered

　　3/4 cup honey, plus more for drizzling

　　3 teaspoons black sesame seeds

　　

Step 1

Unfold the phyllo sheets and place on a dry work surface with a slightly damp towel on top to keep them from becoming brittle. Take out 1 sheet of phyllo and place it vertically on a work surface, with a short edge toward you. Place 1 piece of cheese near the bottom of the sheet. Fold the end up loosely over the cheese, then fold in the sides. Keep folding until you have a tidy package about 3 1/2x4 inches. Make 5 more packets with the remaining cheese and phyllo.

　　

Step 2

In a large pot, heat an inch of vegetable oil to 350°F over medium heat. Fry the phyllo and cheese packages, 2 or 3 at a time, until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Drain on a baking sheet lined with paper towels.

　　

Step 3

While the cheese packages fry, combine the figs and honey in a small saucepan. Heat over low heat until the honey is warm.

　　

To Serve

Step 4

Place 1 cheese package on a plate. Spoon some figs onto each cheese package and drizzle some honey over each serving. Sprinkle with black sesame seeds and serve immediately.

　　Reprinted with permission from Giada's Kitchen: New Italian Favorites by Giada De Laurentiis. Copyright © 2008 by Giada De Laurentiis. Published by Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Giada De Laurentiis is the star of Food Network's Everyday Italian and Behind the Bash. She attended the Cordon Bleu in Paris, and then worked in a variety of Los Angeles restaurants, including Wolfgang Puck's Spago, before starting her own catering and private-chef company, GDL Foods. The granddaughter of movie producer Dino De Laurentiis, Giada was born in Rome and grew up in Los Angeles, where she now lives.