Kanafa
As seen on TV
Which Show?
Who made this dish?
Zenub's Middle Eastern dessert built from kataifi pastry (thin shredded strands similar in texture to filo) with a gooey cream-and-cheese filling. The kanafa is soaked in a simple syrup lightly spiced with green cardamom and rose water. Served with a pistachio crunch on the side and a saffron and pistachio ice cream.
Zenub is a 33-year-old digital consultant blending Pakistani roots with European influences. The judges flag two risks: balancing the textural contrast of crisp pastry and sticky cheese, and not over-doing the saffron, which can quickly tip into bitterness.
Anna: it absolutely isn't as sweet as expected; it hasn't got the huge whack of syrup expected from this dish. On the ice cream, she finds too much saffron, so it veers towards bitter.
John: he loves the filling, calling it creamy and interesting, with a heartbeat of what a loving warm dessert should feel like.
Zenub admits she ran out of time and couldn't plate up the syrup; she goes through to the Meringue Roulade round.
