4 cups milk
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup fine semolina
1/4 cup butter
grated rind of 1/2 lemon
8 cm (3 inch) cinnamon stick
pinch of salt
5 lightly beaten eggs
1 tsp vanilla
250g (8 oz) filo pastry
3/4 cup melted, unsalted butter
syrup - see below
Mix milk, sugar, semolina, butter, lemon rind, cinamon and salt in a large heavy based saucepan. Stir over medium heat until it thickens, turn heat to low and cook stiring 5 mins more. Remove cinamon and cover with butter paper or alfoil to prevent a skin forming.
Allow to cool thouroughly (I prefer overnight) then beat in eggs and vanilla.
Brush an oven dish (13 x 9 x 2 inches) (33 x 23 x 5 cm) with butter. Carefully line with a sheet of filo pastry, covering the sides of the dish as well. Brush the pastry with butter, then add another sheet. Proceed this way until aprox half the pastry (about 5-6 sheets) has been used.
Pour the custard carefully into the dish, trying not to drag down the pastry sides. Smooth out and cover with the remaining pastry, again brushing butter between each sheet. Brush top and pour any remaing butter over. Score through the top few sheets of pastry in a diamond or square pattern (to mark the serving pieces).
Trim edges and bake aprox 45 mins in a moderate oven till golden brown on top and custard is set when tested with a knife. Remove from oven and cool thoroughly in the dish. Prepare syrup.
Syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
strip of lemon rind.
Place all ingredients in a heavy based saucepan. Stir over heat until sugar disolves, then bring to boil (do not stir after boiling) and boil for aprox ten mins. Cool to lukewarm and strain while pouring over pie. Allow the pie to absorb the juice fully and cool before cutting into pieces and serving.