Deep-fried lasagne at The Biga+ in Walmgate, York - review

IF you want to surprise your tastebuds with something completely different, set your culinary compass for Walmgate where a York take-away is selling deep-fried lasagne.

Yes, you read that correctly! The Biga+ specialises in home-made pizza slices, calzone, arancini and cannoli - but has now added deep-fried lasagne to its take-out menu.

Omer Serkan Kandemir and Hande Celikyay opened the business at 67 Walmgate last August and have been selling the deep-fried lasagne in recent weeks.

Omer said: "I love new things and inventing new recipes."

The dish - which looks like a brick covered in golden breadcrumbs - sells for £5 a portion and takes two days to prepare.

The deep-fried lasagne at The Biga in Walmgate, York (Image: Maxine Gordon)

Omer said: "It is a two day operation and each portion is hand-fried, one at a time."

The love that goes into the deep-fried lasagne is obvious as Omer talks me through the preparation of the dish, which is made in large trays enough for 16 portions.

First, he makes a meat sauce, a pasta sauce, and a béchamel one. The lasagne consists of five layers with the meat, pasta and béchamel sauces packed into each layer as well as mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.

It is then slow-cooked in the oven for taste. Once cooled, it is cut into portions and covered in a light tempura batter and a double dose of breadcrumbs for colour and crunch.

The Biga at 67 Walmgate in York - opposite The Press office (Image: Maxine Gordon)

Omer hand-fries each portion, one at a time, delivering trays of these sandy-coloured treats for customers to enjoy.

"Sometimes I make four trays at a time," said Omer, who is a trained chef with 20 years of industry experience.

"We get messages on our social media saying: 'keep one for us' and they call in to collect later," he added.

He came up with the idea while wrestling with the notion of crossing lasagne with arancini, the popular deep-fried stuffed rice balls which he also sells.

It took a lot of tweaks before the landed on the perfect recipe for his deep-fried lasagne.

"You don't want it too dry and you don't want it too sloppy," he said.

The Biga owners Omer and Hande (Image: Maxine Gordon)

So what does his deep-fried lasagne taste like?

I was only too happy to dive in. Coming from Scotland, I was brought up on deep-fried fare. Our chip shops deep fry everything, from pizza and sausages to haggis and pies. And - who can forget - Scotland is home to the legend that is the deep-fried Mars Bar (personally, I prefer the deep-fried Snicker).

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My first reaction was surprise: as I cut into Omer's deep-fried lasagne, I expected to find a gooey mess as the lasagne collapsed into a heap of its contents. But no, this stayed firm, keeping its shape, with the layers of soft pasta acting as solid scaffolding.

In the mouth, the first sensation is the crunch of the golden coating - a mix of Italian and Japanese (Panko) breadcrumbs. Next comes the softness of the pasta layers and the flavours from the meaty, cheesy sauce.

A lovely warmth lingers in the mouth. "There's something spicy in this," I said to Omer.

He nodded. "There is nutmeg, black pepper and chilli."

I realise this spicy mix is actually in the coating - clever!

WATCH: Omer on why you should try his deep-fried lasagne:

Omer is obviously a man who loves to play around with flavour and texture.

What's next?

"In September I am going to have three or four new items including an unusual garlic bread made with home-made brioche, black garlic and cheese," revealed Omer.

Oh, and there might be something else.

Omer is heading to Scotland for a holiday. He's keen to try not the deep-fried Mars Bar, but the deep-fried pizza!

So watch this space foodies of York. Prepare those waistlines - deep-fried pizza may be coming your way. Don't say I didn't warn you!