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| Excellent Greek Olive Oil |
Contemporary Greek cooking is full of the treasures of tradition mingled with the tastes and flavours of modern times. It has fabulous dishes of gastronomic delight.
Please find below, a few traditional and modern Greek recipes which you will, certainly, enjoy preparing and sharing with your family and friends.
500 g (1lb) pasta of your choice, boiled in salted water, strained and sprinkled with olive oil. Reserve a cupful of the water the pasta was boiled in.
One 250 g (1 lb) packet cherry tomatoes, halved (optional)
Vasilis has very kindly allowed me to use a few of his recipes on this blog, so here they are.
20 small rounds of Greek puff pastry
1 tbsp olive oil
300 g (10 oz) mushrooms, trimmed, wiped, boiled for 3-4 minutes in 500 ml (2 cups) lightly salted water, drained and chopped, reserving the cooking liquid
500 g (1 lb) shrimp, shelled and deveined, thoroughly washed and patted dry. Reserve 10 for garnish and sauté them for 1 minute on each side in very little olive oil and sprinkle with a tiny pinch of salt, also, cut the remaining shrimp into 3 pieces each
250 ml (1 cup) excellent white wine like a Santorini Assyrtiko
Meanwhile, sauté the onion in olive oil, stirring occasionally, until soft. Add the garlic and cook stirring for 1 minute more. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste, and pour in the wine and cook for 3-4 minutes, allowing the alcohol to evaporate.
Stir in the mushrooms and their liquid and simmer gently for 12 minutes, then add both the whole and chopped shrimp and simmer for two minutes more. Taste once more for seasoning and adjust accordingly. Remove the whole shrimp from the saucepan and reserve.
Prepare the white sauce. Melt the butter, over low heat, add the bay leaf, and sift the flour over, whisking constantly for 3-4 minutes. Pour in the hot cooking liquid, in small sprinklings, whisking all the time, until the sauce is smooth and bubbling. When all the liquid and the milk has been used, lower the heat and simmer the sauce, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon for 10-12 minutes, until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon. Taste and season with salt, if necessary, freshly ground white pepper and a pinch of grated nutmeg, and stir until very well combined. Remove from the fire and discard the bay leaf. Use the sauce immediately or cover with cling-film and refrigerate for not more than three days.
½ kg (1 lb) spaghetti, boiled in salted water until hardly “al dente”, drizzled with
1 tbsp or more, chopped parsley
This is a very tasty tart, with an interesting pastry.
4 eggs, separated
Cut the lamb into serving pieces, sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Brown all over in butter with the grated onion and the spring onions. Pour the lemon juice and enough water to cover. Lower the heat, and simmer, covered for about 30 minutes or until the lamb is tender.
1
This is a superb way to start a special meal!
250 ml (1 cup) full milk
This is a mushroom pastitsio with filo pastry.
These are simple delicacies made for Easter, but enjoyed all the year round.
ELPIDA’S SHRIMP AND MUSHROOM PASTA
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| Orzo with Mushrooms and Prawns |
My mother used to prepare a delightful mushroom pasta dish, so many years ago. Our Elpida added prawns and the dish peaked to perfection! Moreover, is very easy to prepare.
500 g (1lb) pasta of your choice, boiled in salted water, strained and sprinkled with olive oil. Reserve a cupful of the water the pasta was boiled in.
Sauce:
4 tbsp olive oil
3-5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp tomato paste
Two 500 g (1 lb) packets or tins concentrated tomato juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp Cayenne pepper or hot paprika
1 tsp sugar or more, according to the acidity of the tomatoes
1 kg (2 lb) fresh mushrooms, halved or quartered, sautéed and sprinkled with salt
1 kg (2 lb) shrimp, peeled and deveined, very lightly sautéed with a sprig of rosemary and sprinkled with salt
One 250 g (1 lb) packet cherry tomatoes, halved (optional)
Sauté the garlic in three tbsp olive oil for about one minute, over low heat. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for two minutes, stirring all the time.
Add the tomato juice and sprinkle with sugar, a little salt, freshly ground black pepper and Cayenne pepper or hot paprika. Bring to the boil, cover the saucepan and simmer very gently for 15 minutes to half an hour, until the sauce is thick and cooked.
Stir in the mushrooms with their juices and the cherry tomatoes, if using, then cover the saucepan and cook for 4-5 minutes. Finally, add the shrimp and simmer for 2 minutes more. Taste for seasoning and add more salt, black pepper, Cayenne pepper or paprika, if necessary.
When ready to serve, heat the prepared pasta in a large flat saucepan, cover with the sauce. If you think it should be more liquid, add a little of the reserved pasta water. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and enjoy.
Mr Vasilis Frantzolas is a civil engineer who, successfully runs a construction company for metal buildings
Being a lover of good food, also an olive oil taster and quality advisor, Mr Frantzolas has written a fantastic fish and seafood cookery book “Tastes of the Sea”, full of delicious and avant-garde gourmet recipes.
PRAWN AND MUSHROOM MILLE-FEUILLES WITH A WINE SAUCE
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| Puff Pastry Rounds |
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| The Prawn Mushroom Sauce can also be Served over Rice |
A delectable starter to honour your guests I am replacing the cream with a white sauce.
20 small rounds of Greek puff pastry
1 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, peeled and grated
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
300 g (10 oz) mushrooms, trimmed, wiped, boiled for 3-4 minutes in 500 ml (2 cups) lightly salted water, drained and chopped, reserving the cooking liquid
500 g (1 lb) shrimp, shelled and deveined, thoroughly washed and patted dry. Reserve 10 for garnish and sauté them for 1 minute on each side in very little olive oil and sprinkle with a tiny pinch of salt, also, cut the remaining shrimp into 3 pieces each
250 ml (1 cup) excellent white wine like a Santorini Assyrtiko
Salt and pepper to taste
White sauce:
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp plain flour
1 bay leaf
375 ml (1 ½ cups) reserved cooking liquid, adding a little milk if not enough
Pinch of grated nutmeg
Place the puff pastry rounds in a roasting tin, lined with baking parchment, and prick them all over with a fork. Cover with another piece of parchment and place an upside-down tin on top, to prevent the pastry from puffing up. Bake in an oven preheated to 180 C (350 F) for 12-15 minutes, then remove the top tin and the parchment and bake for 1-2 minutes more or until the pastry becomes crisp and golden. Keep hot.
Meanwhile, sauté the onion in olive oil, stirring occasionally, until soft. Add the garlic and cook stirring for 1 minute more. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste, and pour in the wine and cook for 3-4 minutes, allowing the alcohol to evaporate.
Stir in the mushrooms and their liquid and simmer gently for 12 minutes, then add both the whole and chopped shrimp and simmer for two minutes more. Taste once more for seasoning and adjust accordingly. Remove the whole shrimp from the saucepan and reserve.
Prepare the white sauce. Melt the butter, over low heat, add the bay leaf, and sift the flour over, whisking constantly for 3-4 minutes. Pour in the hot cooking liquid, in small sprinklings, whisking all the time, until the sauce is smooth and bubbling. When all the liquid and the milk has been used, lower the heat and simmer the sauce, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon for 10-12 minutes, until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon. Taste and season with salt, if necessary, freshly ground white pepper and a pinch of grated nutmeg, and stir until very well combined. Remove from the fire and discard the bay leaf. Use the sauce immediately or cover with cling-film and refrigerate for not more than three days.
Stir small amounts of white sauce into the mushroom and prawn mixture until it reaches the desired thickness and taste, adding more seasoning if needed. Finally, stir in the chopped parsley.
To assemble the dish, arrange the 10 puff-pastry rounds on a serving platter. Place a heaped tablespoonful of mushroom and shrimp mixture on top of each round, cover with the remaining 10 pastry rounds and garnish each mille-feuille with a small amount of the mushroom sauce, a whole shrimp and a twig of fresh parsley.
Serve with a green salad, warm crusty brown bread and a glass of the same wine used in the sauce. Kali orexi!
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| Eis Ygeian! |
PRAWNS WRAPPED IN KATAIFI WITH
SWEET AND SOUR TOMATO SAUCE
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Kataifi derives from “Kadife” which Arabic for velvet. The original way of preparing this pastry was by pouring batter through a perforated tube on a very hot slab. After a few seconds, the fine strings of pastry were pulled off, folded and packed for further use.
Today, pastry manufacturer in Greece use the same concept as their colleagues did, centuries before. Now with the help of sophisticated machinery and the appropriate “know-how” they produce an excellent kataifi pastry
This is an appetizer that can be served either as a first dish or as finger food.
30 middle-sized prawns, shelled, deveined, tails left on
Salt and freshly ground, multi-coloured (black-red-green-white) pepper
30 wooden skewers
750 g (l½ lb) kataifi pastry
Corn oil for frying
Sweet and Sour Tomato Sauce:
1 large onion, grated
2 leeks, white part only, split in half, lengthwise, washed and finely chopped
1 tsp grated ginger
A little salt
250 ml (1 cup) water
125 ml (½ cup) vinegar
62.5 ml (¼ cup) white balsamic vinegar
100 g (½ cup) caster sugar
4 large tomatoes, halved, seeded, grated skins discarded
3 tbsp tomato ketchup
Salt and freshly multi-coloured pepper
1 bay leaf
First, prepare the sauce. Sweat the onion, leeks, ginger with water and a little salt until soft and cooked but not brown. Then add the two kinds of vinegar, sugar, grated tomatoes, tomato ketchup and bay leaf to the onion-ginger mixture, cover and simmer until the sauce is completely cooked and thick. Turn off the heat and discard the bay leaf.
Purée and sieve the sauce, pressing with the back of a spoon to extract most of the taste. Taste and add extra salt, sugar and freshly ground multi-coloured pepper, if necessary. Place in a bowl, cover and refrigerate.
Sprinkle the pawns with salt and freshly ground pepper and thread each one on a wooden skewer. Fluff out the kataifi pastry, thoroughly. Take equal strands of kataifi and cover each prawn completely except the tail.
Fry in hot corn oil until crisp and golden. Remove and pat with kitchen paper to remove the superfluous oil and discard the skewers. Serve hot, dipped in sweet and sour tomato sauce
Fry in hot corn oil until crisp and golden. Remove and pat with kitchen paper to remove the superfluous oil and discard the skewers. Serve hot, dipped in sweet and sour tomato sauce
YIANNA’S LOBSTER WITH SPAGHETTI
(Astakomakaronada)
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| Yianna's Astakomakaronada |
Most of the Greek islands and sea resorts have their own version for “astakomakaronada”. This is one of the best! This recipe was given to my daughter-in-law Yianna, by a food expert who lives in the medieval fortress-town of Monemvasia, where our Yianna has a house.
2 lobsters 1kg (2 lb) each, washed and halved lengthwise, intestine discarded, claws
and legs removed and reserved
4 tbsp olive oil
2 large onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
2 liqueur glasses brandy, heated
About 2 cups dry, white wine
1 kg (2 lb) ripe tomatoes, halved, deseeded and grated, skins discarded
1 tsp or more sugar
1/8 tsp Cayenne pepper or a few drops hot pepper sauce, or 1 tsp hot red pepper flakes
½ kg (1 lb) spaghetti, boiled in salted water until hardly “al dente”, drizzled with
olive oil, and kept hot
1 tbsp or more, chopped parsley
In a large saucepan, sauté the onion and garlic, in olive oil, until soft. Remove, and set aside.
Season the lobster halves and place them in the saucepan, the flesh touching the bottom of the pan. Add the claws and legs, and cook briskly for about 5 minutes until the shells change colour. Then pour in the hot brandy and ignite. When the flames die down, add the wine, and simmer until the alcohol evaporates. Then add the tomato, the sautéed onion and garlic, a pinch of salt and the Cayenne pepper. Stir well, without disturbing the lobster halves, cover the saucepan and cook very gently for 20-25 minutes, shaking the saucepan occasionally.
With a slotted spoon arrange all the lobster pieces on a heated dish.
Remove the meat from the lobster halves, cut into bite-sized pieces, and place them back into the shells. Also, crack the claws and legs, extract the meat, add them to the lobster shells and keep hot.
Reduce the sauce until thick, taste for seasoning and correct with salt, pepper and sugar, if needed. Sprinkle the lobster with a little sauce. Add the spaghetti to the remaining sauce and simmer a few minutes more.
Place the spaghetti on a heated dish, arranging the lobster halves on top. Serve sprinkled with parsley and freshly ground black pepper.
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A COURGETTE AND CHEESE TART
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| Courgettes and Cheese Tart |
This is a very tasty tart, with an interesting pastry.
For the pastry:
100 g (3.3 oz) butter, at room temperature
50 g (1.6 oz) feta cheese, crumbled
50 g (l.6oz) San Mihalis or Parmesan Cheese, grated
180 g (6 oz ) self-raising flour
A knob of butter for the pie dish
For the filling:
100 g (3.3 oz) bland kasseri or Emmenthal cheese, grated
100 g (3.3 oz) Graviera from Naxos or Gruyere grated
2 slices smoked ham, chopped
2 medium courgettes, grated
1 - 2 spring onions, finely sliced
1 tbsp finely chopped dill
4 eggs, separated
250 ml (1 cup) light cream
freshly ground black pepper
Start with the pastry. Place all the ingredients in a mixer and blend until the dough forms a ball around the pastry hook. Roll out the dough thinly and line a buttered pie dish. Prick the pastry with a fork, cover with baking parchment and beans and bake blind in an oven preheated to 180 C ( 350 F) for about 12 minutes. Remove from the oven, discard the parchment and beans and bake for 7 minutes more and let it cool.
Meanwhile, mix the cheeses and the chopped ham and place them into the pastry case and scatter the courgettes, spring onions and the dill evenly over.
Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt, until stiff. Mix the egg yolks with the cream until they are well combined and sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. Then fold the whipped egg whites, gently, into the yolk mixture and pour evenly over the cheeses, not the pastry!
Bake for 35-40 minutes in a moderate oven preheated to 180 C (350 F) until the filling is puffed and golden brown.
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A PIE WITH ARTICHOKE HEARTS
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| No Comments.. |
This is one of the best pies.
10 large artichoke hearts (cut in quarters) or 20 small ones, halved, (frozen or fresh)
2 lemons, if using fresh artichokes
2 tbsp olive oil
5-6 spring onions, chopped
1-2 tbsp lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp parsley. chopped
½ tbsp dill, chopped
4 eggs, separated, whites whipped to soft peaks with a pinch of salt
160 g (2 cups minus 1 tbsp) kephalograviera or Parmesan, grated
90 g (1 cup) kasseri or Emmenthal, grated
125 g (1/4 lb) anthotyro or ricotta, crumbled
4 slices ham, cubed, optional
500 g (1 lb) phyllo pastry
120 ml (1/2 cup) butter, melted
2 tbsp olive oil (optional)
Sauce
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
1 bay leaf
1½ cup milk
Salt and freshly ground black or white pepper to taste
Nutmeg, to taste
If using fresh artichokes proceed as follows. Break off the tough outer leaves. Cut off about 3 cm (1 in) from the top and rub with lemon juice. Remove the choke with a teaspoon, peel the stalks. Immediately immerse the artichokes in a bowl of cold water with 1 tbsp flour and the juice of 1 lemon, to prevent them from discolouring.
Sauté the onions in 2 tbsp butter. Add the artichoke hearts, drained and dried, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and drizzle with a little lemon juice.
Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. Stir the flour into the melted butter, add the bay leaf, and cook for 2-3 minutes. Pour in the milk and simmer for 5-7 minutes, stirring all the time, until the sauce thickens. Season with pepper and nutmeg and set it aside to cool. Discard the bay leaf.
In a big bowl, combine the egg yolks and cheeses with the sauce and mix very well together. Taste, and add freshly ground white pepper and salt if necessary. Then add the artichokes and ham, if using. Gently fold in the whipped egg whites.
Line a buttered rectangular baking dish with 5 sheets of phyllo pastry, brushing each sheet generously with butter. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and spoon the filling carefully over. Fold the overhanging pastry over the filling. Place another 5 sheets of pastry on top, brushing each separately with butter. Trim the excess phyllo and tuck it neatly into the sides of the dish. Score the top layer of the pastry into portions. Sprinkle with water, and bake in a moderate oven preheated to 190 C (375 F) for about 1 hour.
LAMB FRICASSE WITH LETTUCES AND ANTITHIA
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| Thanking Jamie Oliver for this Photo! |
This is a traditional Greek dish. I've added yoghurt, to make the sauce creamier.
1250 kg (2 lb 8oz) lamb chops, boned, all visible fat removed, reserve the bones*
2 tbsp butter
1 onion, peeled and grated
6 spring onions, trimmed, washed and finely sliced
6 spring onions, trimmed, washed and finely sliced
6 cos lettuces, trimmed, washed and thickly shredded, blanched and drained thoroughly
1.250 kg (2 lb 8oz) antithia, washed, thickly chopped, blanched and drained thoroughly
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Stock prepared with the *reserved bones + 1 carrot + 1 celery stalk with leaves + ½ an onion + water to cover
2 tbsp dill, finely chopped
Stock prepared with the *reserved bones + 1 carrot + 1 celery stalk with leaves + ½ an onion + water to cover
2 tbsp dill, finely chopped
Avgolemono Sauce:
3 eggs
1 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp plain flour
Lemon juice to taste
500 ml (2 cups) lamb stock*
2 tbsp thick Greek yoghurt
Cut the lamb into serving pieces, sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Brown all over in butter with the grated onion and the spring onions. Pour the lemon juice and enough water to cover. Lower the heat, and simmer, covered for about 30 minutes or until the lamb is tender.
When the lamb is cooked, add the blanched vegetables and cook for 5-7 minutes more. Taste for seasoning and add salt, pepper and lemon juice, if necessary.
Then, prepare the avgolemono sauce (egg and lemon sauce). Whip the eggs, sift the flour over and stir until well combined. Pour in the lemon juice and 250 ml (1 cup) hot lamb stock, sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper and simmer very gently until the sauce thickens. Then pour in 250 ml (1 cup) hot stock and mix very well together until smooth. Simmer for 3-4 minutes more and stir in the yoghurt and keep on stirring until no traces of white are evident.
Pour the avgolemono evenly over the meat and vegetables and swirl the saucepan vigorously to incorporate, taste once more and season accordingly, if needed. Garnish with yoghurt and a sprig of dill and serve with chips, warm crusty bread and a glass of wine.
Pour the avgolemono evenly over the meat and vegetables and swirl the saucepan vigorously to incorporate, taste once more and season accordingly, if needed. Garnish with yoghurt and a sprig of dill and serve with chips, warm crusty bread and a glass of wine.
CRAB AND FENNEL BULB TART
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| A Delicious Quiche |
This is a superb way to start a special meal!
Pastry:
180 g (6 oz) plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
60 g (2 oz) San Mihalis or Parmesan, grated
90 g (3 oz) butter
Freshly ground white pepper
1 middle-sized egg, beaten
1 liqueur glass of Metaxa brandy
Filling:
300 g (10 oz) cooked crab, flaked
150 g (5 oz) sauteed tender fennel bulbs, finely chopped and patted dry
1 tbsp chopped fennel leaves
2 tbsp thickly grated Graviera from Naxos or Gouda or Emmenthal mixed with
1 tbsp finely grated San Mihalis or Parmesan
2 tbsp thickly grated Graviera from Naxos or Gouda or Emmenthal mixed with
1 tbsp finely grated San Mihalis or Parmesan
250 ml (1 cup) full milk
187.5 ml (¾ cup) thick cream
4 eggs separated, whites whipped to soft peaks
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tbsp of the grated cheese mixture mixed with
2 tbsp dried breadcrumbs
Preheat oven to 200 C (400 F). Place the first five ingredients for the pastry in a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Pour in the beaten egg and the brandy and pulse just until dough forms a ball around the hook of the food processor. Remove the dough. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Then, roll out the pastry thinly and line a 30 cm (12 inch) buttered, deep tart dish and sprinkle lavishly with the dried breadcrumb/grated cheese mixture. Add the crab meat and the chopped fennel bulb evenly over and sprinkle with the chopped fennel leaves and the grated cheese.
Lightly whisk the egg yolks with the milk, cream, salt and pepper to taste and gently fold in the whipped egg whites. Pour this over the crab meat and fennel bulbs and bake in the middle of the oven for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 180 C (350 F) and bake for 25 minutes more or until the pastry is crisp and the filling set and golden.
Serve the tart garnished with sprigs of fennel and a zesty green salad.
A MACARONI AMD MUSHROOM TIMBALE
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| Pastitsio with Filo Pastry |
500 g (1 lb) filo pastry
125 ml (1/2 cup) melted hot butter
125 ml (1/2 cup) melted hot butter
500 g (1 lb) macaroni
2 tbsp butter
2-3 tbsp grated San Mihalis or Parmesan cheese
Mushroom Sauce:
500 g (1 lb) white mushrooms, trimmed, wiped and finely diced
1 dry porcini mushroom, soaked, patted dry and finely diced, reserve soaking liquid
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
A large onion, peeled and grated
4 rashers of bacon, fat discarded, finely cubed
5 slices smoked ham, fat discarded, finely cubed
90 ml (1/3 cup) brandy
250 (1 cup) chicken or vegetable stock
1/8 tsp Cayenne pepper, optional
Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
Béchamel Sauce:
150 g (5 oz) butter
150 g (5 oz) plain flour
1 bay leaf
1 ¼ litre (5 cups) or more hot milk
Grated nutmeg
100 g (3 oz + 2 tbsp) San Mihalis or Parmesan, grated
First, prepare the mushroom sauce. Sauté the mushrooms in olive oil, over high heat, stirring constantly until slightly brown and dry. Transfer the mushrooms to a bowl with a slotted spoon.
Lower the heat and add the grated onion and chopped bacon and cook stirring for 5-6 minutes more. Return the mushrooms to the saucepan, add the minced garlic and the chopped smoked ham and stir and simmer for two minutes more. Pour the brandy and simmer, stirring until the alcohol evaporates. Add the stock and the porcini soaking liquid and sprinkle with, freshly ground white pepper and Cayenne, if using, and a little salt if necessary. Stir and simmer gently until the sauce thickens. Taste once more and season accordingly, if needed. Sprinkle with parsley and set aside.
For the béchamel sauce, melt the butter add the bay leaf, sift the cornflour over and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the hot milk and stir for 19-12 minutes until the sauce boils and thickens. Remove from the heat and discard the bay leaf. Stir in the cheese and cool a little. Then stir in the egg yolks and season to taste with salt, white pepper and nutmeg. Finally gently fold in the whipped egg whites.
Meanwhile, cook the macaroni in boiling, salted water until “al dente”. Drain and return to the saucepan, sprinkle with cheese. Pour the hot butter over and swirl. Add 2-3 cups of béchamel sauce and mix gently but thoroughly together.
To assemble the timbale. Line a buttered round, deep baking tin with 9 filo pastry sheets each lavishly brushed with melted butter allowing the excess to hang over the edges of the tin.
Place 1/3 of the macaroni over the pastry. Cover with half the mushroom sauce and place a second layer of macaroni and top with the remaining mushroom sauce. Arrange the last layer of macaroni over the sauce and cover with the filo pastry that is hanging over the edges of the tin to enclose the macaroni. Arrange the remaining filo pastry on top, each sheet brushed with melted butter. Tuck the pastry sheets neatly down the edges of the tin. Bake in an oven preheated to 190 C (359 F) for 35-40 minutes or until the pastry turns crisp and golden.
Reverse on a round dish and serve with sautéed vegetables of your choice.
MEAT WITH QUINCES
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| A Delicious Traditional Dish |
As my family love meat and fruit dishes, this dish is a great favourite.
1.5 kg (3 lb) beef from the chuck or rump, cut into serving pieces
1 kg (2 lb) quince, cored and cut into sixths or eighths
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 liqueur glass brandy
125 ml (½ cup) sweet white wine
3 ripe tomatoes, halved, seeded and grated, skins discarded
Salt and
Freshly ground black pepper and
A pinch of sugar
1 small cinnamon stick
Freshly ground black pepper and
A pinch of sugar
1 small cinnamon stick
Hot, unsalted meat stock
1 tbsp or more honey
1 tbsp butter
Brown the meat, all over, in 2 tbsp olive oil. Add the onion and sauté until transparent, and season with salt and pepper.
Pour in the brandy and then the wine and simmer, stirring for 3-4 minutes until the alcohol evaporates. Then add the tomatoes and enough hot meat stock to just cover the meat. Sprinkle with a little sugar, add the cinnamon stick, cover the saucepan and simmer gently until the meat is half cooked.
Add the quinces to the saucepan, sprinkle them with a little salt and pour in some more meat stock, if necessary. Cook gently until both the meat and fruit are tender. Taste and add more salt, if necessary, freshly ground pepper, honey and 1 tbsp of butter, swirl the saucepan and simmer for 2-3 minutes more. Discard the cinnamon stick or keep it for garnish.
Serve with white rice or mashed potatoes or chips and a wild rocket salad.
Serve with white rice or mashed potatoes or chips and a wild rocket salad.
BEEF STIFATHO
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| The Perfect Sunday Lunch |
Stifatho is a popular dish. Don’t get discouraged by the large number of onions. An easy way to peel them, without tears, is to blanch them in their skins, drain and then proceed.
1 kg (2 lb) stewing beef, cut into bite-sized cubes
2 kg (4 lb) small onions, peeled (please see introduction)
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
250 ml (1 cup) red wine
2 bay leaves
500 ml (2 cups) tomato juice
1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Brown the meat in butter and olive oil and transfer it with a slotted spoon to a dish.
Add the onions and sauté all over for 2-3 minutes until caramelized and remove them to a dish and reserve.
Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more. Return the meat to the saucepan, pour the wine over and simmer for 3-4 minutes more, allowing the alcohol to evaporate. Then add all the other ingredients and enough hot water to cover, and simmer gently for an hour or until the meat and onions are tender. If the onions are ready before the meat, remove and keep them hot.
If the sauce isn’t thick enough, reduce it by boiling uncovered. Then taste it, season with more salt, pepper and vinegar, if necessary, and discard the bay leaves.
Serve the stifatho with either mashed potatoes or chips and sauteed carrots and peas.
APRICOT TART
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| Just Out of the Oven |
Here is a recipe for a crumbly tart that can be served hot with whipped cream or ice cream.
10 apricots, stoned and halved
2 tbsp butter
6 tbsp sugar
Pastry:
120 g (4 oz) butter, very cold, cut into small pieces
200 g (almost 7 oz) plain flour
1 egg yolk
2 tbsp icing sugar
Pinch of salt
To make the pastry, rub butter and flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the egg yolk, icing sugar and salt, keep on stirring and press the ingredients together, to form a ball of soft dough. Flatten the dough, cover with cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes at least.
Place the sugar and butter into a round baking tin over low heat and let them melt and bubble until they form a thick caramel. Remove from the heat and push the apricots, cut side up, into the caramel.
Roll out the pastry larger than the top of the baking tin, drape it over the fruit and tuck the surplus down the sides of the dish. Bake in an oven preheated to 180 C (350 F) for 45-50 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and the caramel is bubbling around the edge. Cool for five minutes and overturn on a serving dish.
VEGAN TAHINI BROWNIES
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| Delightful Bites |
Tahini is made from toasted, ground and hulled Sesame seeds. It has a delicious nutty flavour and it is a very healthy condiment.
150 g (5 oz) tahini
150 ml (5 fl oz) orange juice
Zest of 1 orange
50 ml (1.8 fl oz) Metaxa brandy
200 g (almost 7 oz) dark chocolate (Pavlides Ygeias), chopped and melted
150 g (5 oz) plain flour
150 g (5 oz) icing sugar
120 g (4 oz) hazelnuts, roughly chopped
Mix everything very well together, place in a tin, double lined with baking parchment and bake in an oven preheated to 180 C (350 F) for not more than 22 minutes. Cool in the tin.
Serve cut into squares.
RAFIOLIA FROM PAROS
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| Thanking Argyro Barbarigou for the Picture |
These are simple delicacies made for Easter, but enjoyed all the year round.
Filling:
100 g (1 cup) Anthotyro or cottage cheese or Ricotta
1 tsp grated orange peel
1 tbsp brandy (optional)
1 egg
4 tbsp sugar
Milk
1 tsp cinnamon
Corn oil for frying
Pastry:
260 g (2 cups) flour
A pinch of salt
½ tbsp olive oil
½ tsp lemon juice or vinegar
180 ml (3/4 cup) white wine or water
First prepare the pastry. Sift flour and salt into a bowl. Pour the olive oil, vinegar (or lemon juice) and the wine or water in the centre, and mix well. Then knead until the dough is smooth and pliable Cover and let it rest for an hour.
Combine the ingredients for the filling and mix well together.
On a working surface dusted with flour or corn flour, roll out the pastry fairly thin. Cut in rounds about 7 cm (3 in) in diameter. Place a teaspoon of filling on half the pastry rounds and cover folding over the other half, and seal securely pressing with the prongs of a fork.
Fry, on both sides, over low heat, until golden brown. Cool, and serve sprinkled with icing sugar.
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