Grapes and their bi-products

                                        

                      Grapes are the fruit of Vitis Venifera.   They can be eaten raw or used for making wine, jam, jellies, raisins and currents, petimezi, vinegar and a grape seed extract used for the production of tsipouro, arak and grappa.

             Archaeologists discovered 8000 year old grape seeds and earthenware wine receptacles, in Georgia and Armenia.  Wine and vineyards are mentioned in old Jewish religious texts.  Both the Greeks and the Romans had created a god of wine, Dionysos, who was depicted with grape leaves crowning his head.  For Christianity wine is very significant.   Sweet red wine is the used as the Blood of Christ, for celebrating the Holy Eucharist.

           Today we enjoy eating raw grapes and their bi-products and no meal is perfect without a bottle of good quality wine

CHICKEN DRUMSTICKS WITH GRAPES

           Whenever I prepared this delectable, gourmet dish it was always welcomed with joy.

12 chicken drumsticks

Marinade

125 ml (½ cup) soy-sauce

125 ml (½ cup) water

2½ cm (1 inch) square piece of peeled ginger, sliced

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

6 rosemary sprigs or tarragon sprigs, cut in half

Olive oil

1 kg (2 lbs) sultanina grapes, twigs removed

 A knob of butter

1-2 tbsp petimezi (optional)

           Marinate the chicken for 3 hours at room temperature, turning them around once.   Then place them on a grill standing over a baking tin and brush with olive oil.   Pour a cup of water in the tin and roast the drumsticks in an oven preheated to 190 C (375 F) for 45-50 minutes.  Pour the rest of the olive oil in the marinade and baste every 15-20 minutes.  After 25 minutes turn the chicken over and cook, for the remaining time or until the skin is crisp and brown.

          Meanwhile, reserve a cupful of fresh grapes and sauté the rest in butter.  Season with a little of the marinade add a sprig of the same herb used, taste for seasoning and add some salt and pepper if necessary.   Stir in the petimezi (optional) but do not cook more than 6-7 minutes.

          When the drumsticks are ready, serve them attractively on a dish.  Add the raw grapes to the cooked ones and spoon them next to the chicken.

                                                         

                                                            

PETIMEZI OR COTTO

           Petimezi or Cotto, as it called in the Ionian Islands, is boiled grape must, reduced until dark and syrupy.   Petimezi is used in many Greek recipes, both savoury and sweet.

 SPICY PETIMEZI TART

Do try this tart if you like petimezi.

Pastry:

200 g (an ample 1½ cup) plain flour

30 g (1 oz) powdered almonds or thinly chopped walnuts

A pinch of salt

130 g (½ cup + 1 tsp) cold butter, cut in small pieces

1 egg

Very little brandy, if necessary

Filling:

4 medium sized eggs

150 g (¾ cup) sugar

50 ml (1/5 cup) petimezi

1 liqueur glass brandy

1/8 tsp ginger powder

¼ tsp cinnamon powder

1/8 tsp grated nutmeg

½ tsp baking powder

60 g (2 oz) self raising flour

            First make the pastry.  Rub the butter with flour, almond powder or thinly chopped walnuts and salt, until they resemble fine bread crumbs.   Then add the egg, stir lightly and gather the dough into a ball.  If the dough crumbles add the brandy, drop by drop until the particles adhere.

           Line a tart tin evenly with pastry, pressing it in the corners and trimming the edges.   Cover with cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.  Bake blind, in an oven  preheated to 180 C (350 F), for 20 minutes.

          Meanwhile prepare the filling.   Beat the eggs with the sugar until light, fluffy and doubled in bulk.  Pour in the petimezi, brandy, the spices, baking powder and flour and stir until well combined.  Pour over the hot, baked crust and bake for 20 minutes more, until brown and slightly wobbly and remove immediately from the oven.

SULTANA GRAPES  PRESERVED IN SYRUP

                                         

        Sultana grapes make an excellent spoon sweet as they have no pips and are very thin-skinned.

1 kg (2 lb) sultana grapes, stemmed and washed

½ kg (1 lb) sugar

60 ml (1/4 cup) good brandy

2-3 sweet-scented geranium leaves

          Place the grapes in a large saucepan in layers with the sugar in between, and refrigerate for 12 hours. The next day bring the sultanas to the boil, skim, and cook gently for 10 minutes.  Remove the saucepan from the fire, add the brandy and sweet-scented geranium leaves, stir and set aside.

   

         After 24 hours, simmer the grapes until the syrup thickens.   Set aside to cool and discard the geranium leaves.   Finally, pour the spoon sweet in sterilized jars and seal.