One of Crete's greatest treasures is it's tasty and healthy cuisine. The Cretan diet is famous worldwide besides being healthy Cretan dishes are served in many gourmet restaurants all over the world.
Here are a few recipes from Crete.
CRETAN DAKOS
Dakos are Cretan barley rusks that are served as a light meal or salad.
6 Dakos
4 juicy tomatoes, peeled, de-seeded and finely chopped
1/4 cup capers, soaked overnight in water and strained
1/2 cup stoned olives, sliced
Cretan anthotyro, crumbled
Olive oil
Salt to taste
Place the dakos on a serving dish, Cover with the juicy chopped tomatoes, sprinkle evenly with capers, olives, and Cretan anthotyro and drizzle lavishly with olive oil, and serve.
KOCHLI BOURBOURISTI
"Kochli" are snails in Cretan patois. Snails can be found in the most sophisticated, gourmet restaurants, internationally. In Crete, kochli have been a fundamental part of the local gastronomy and culture since antiquity. Today, they are considered a delicacy usually served fried or bourbouristi.
Place the snails, overnight, in a large bowl with cold water. They should come out of their shells, discarding those that don't. Rinse with plenty of cold water.
Ingredients:
50 snails
125 ml (1/2 cup) olive oil
125 ml (1/2 cup) vinegar
2 sprigs of rosemary
Salt to taste
Boil the snails in slightly salted water until they begin to foam. Discard the froth, rinse them well with plenty of cold water, clean them carefully with a knife, removing all residue, and drain them.
Spread a little salt in a frying pan and place over medium heat. Place the poor snails with the opening touching the pan. Pour in the wine and cook for 5 minutes, add the vinegar and rosemary, increase the heat, cover the pan and cook for 5 minutes more.
Serve in a deep serving dish with the delicious sauce.
RABBIT STEW WITH LEMON SAUCE
A delectable Cretan stew.
1 kg (2 lb) rabbit cut into serving pieces
Marinade:
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
125 ml (1/2 cup) water
1 onion, peeled and chopped
Olive oil for sauteeing the meat
250 ml (1cup) white wine
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
1 sprig thyme
1 sprig rosemary
Marinade the rabbit overnight, covered and iced. Strain and wipe the meat dry and strain and reserve the marinade.
Brown the rabbit in olive oil until brown, saute the chopped onion slightly, pour in the wine and the reserved marinade and add the herbs. Cook until the meat is tender and serve with steamed rice and sauteed carrots and peas.
STAMNAGATHI SALAD
Stamnagathi is a wild weed, a favourite weed in Crete.
1 kg (2 lb) stamnagathi
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt to taste
1 spring onion, trimmed and finely sliced
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
Remove the soil from the weeds and wash them thoroughly in plenty of cold water. Drain and boil them in slightly salted water for 10-12 minutes. Then strain and put them in a salad bowl, saute the spring onion and garlic in olive oil and sprinkle over the weeds and drizzle with lemon and olive oil dressing.
A CAKE FROM ZAKROS
This is a recipe from my dear friend, June Marino's book, "A Taste of Crete".
600 g (4 cups) self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
125 ml (1/2 cup) milk
125 ml (1/2 cup) fresh orange juice
Grated peel of 2 oranges
Grated peel of 1 lemon
3 eggs
Sift flour with baking powder and set aside. Whip olive oil with the zests and sugar then add the liquids and mix well. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add the sifted flour gradually, stirring until smooth.
Pour into an oiled baking tin, lined with baking parchment, about 22 cm (8.5 in) in diameter and 7 cm 2.8 in) deep. Bake in an oven preheated to 190 C (375 F) for about 1 hour.
Here are a few recipes from Crete.
CRETAN DAKOS
Dakos are Cretan barley rusks that are served as a light meal or salad.
6 Dakos
4 juicy tomatoes, peeled, de-seeded and finely chopped
1/4 cup capers, soaked overnight in water and strained
1/2 cup stoned olives, sliced
Cretan anthotyro, crumbled
Olive oil
Salt to taste
Place the dakos on a serving dish, Cover with the juicy chopped tomatoes, sprinkle evenly with capers, olives, and Cretan anthotyro and drizzle lavishly with olive oil, and serve.
KOCHLI BOURBOURISTI
"Kochli" are snails in Cretan patois. Snails can be found in the most sophisticated, gourmet restaurants, internationally. In Crete, kochli have been a fundamental part of the local gastronomy and culture since antiquity. Today, they are considered a delicacy usually served fried or bourbouristi.
Place the snails, overnight, in a large bowl with cold water. They should come out of their shells, discarding those that don't. Rinse with plenty of cold water.
Ingredients:
50 snails
125 ml (1/2 cup) olive oil
125 ml (1/2 cup) vinegar
2 sprigs of rosemary
Salt to taste
Boil the snails in slightly salted water until they begin to foam. Discard the froth, rinse them well with plenty of cold water, clean them carefully with a knife, removing all residue, and drain them.
Spread a little salt in a frying pan and place over medium heat. Place the poor snails with the opening touching the pan. Pour in the wine and cook for 5 minutes, add the vinegar and rosemary, increase the heat, cover the pan and cook for 5 minutes more.
Serve in a deep serving dish with the delicious sauce.
RABBIT STEW WITH LEMON SAUCE
A delectable Cretan stew.
1 kg (2 lb) rabbit cut into serving pieces
Marinade:
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
125 ml (1/2 cup) water
1 onion, peeled and chopped
Olive oil for sauteeing the meat
250 ml (1cup) white wine
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
1 sprig thyme
1 sprig rosemary
Marinade the rabbit overnight, covered and iced. Strain and wipe the meat dry and strain and reserve the marinade.
Brown the rabbit in olive oil until brown, saute the chopped onion slightly, pour in the wine and the reserved marinade and add the herbs. Cook until the meat is tender and serve with steamed rice and sauteed carrots and peas.
STAMNAGATHI SALAD
Stamnagathi is a wild weed, a favourite weed in Crete.
1 kg (2 lb) stamnagathi
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt to taste
1 spring onion, trimmed and finely sliced
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
Remove the soil from the weeds and wash them thoroughly in plenty of cold water. Drain and boil them in slightly salted water for 10-12 minutes. Then strain and put them in a salad bowl, saute the spring onion and garlic in olive oil and sprinkle over the weeds and drizzle with lemon and olive oil dressing.
A CAKE FROM ZAKROS
This is a recipe from my dear friend, June Marino's book, "A Taste of Crete".
600 g (4 cups) self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
125 ml (1/2 cup) milk
125 ml (1/2 cup) fresh orange juice
Grated peel of 2 oranges
Grated peel of 1 lemon
3 eggs
Sift flour with baking powder and set aside. Whip olive oil with the zests and sugar then add the liquids and mix well. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add the sifted flour gradually, stirring until smooth.
Pour into an oiled baking tin, lined with baking parchment, about 22 cm (8.5 in) in diameter and 7 cm 2.8 in) deep. Bake in an oven preheated to 190 C (375 F) for about 1 hour.
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