GREEK SUMMER SEAFOOD DISHES

Here are several recipes for Greek summer seafood dishes.





                                             SEAFOOD YOUVETSI

A delightful dish.

500 g (1 lb) prawns, shelled, deveined thoroughly washed, patted dry and cut into three pieces
8-9 tbsp olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 kg (2 lb) calamari, cleaned, bone removed, thoroughly washed, patted dry and sliced
1 tsp sugar
1 leek, trimmed
1 celery stalk, threaded
 1 onion peeled
1 carrot, scraped
1 tsp thyme leaves
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1/4 tsp powdered cloves
1/2 tsp powdered allspice
1 bay leaf
1 chicken cube
1 tbsp tomato paste
50 g (1,10 fluid oz) ouzo
50 g (1.10 fluid oz) white wine
500 g (1 lb) tomato juice
700 ml (2.8 cups) water
600 g mussels
250 g (1/2 lb) orzo pasta
1 lemon, juice and zest


Place the prawns in a bowl with salt and pepper to taste and 2 tbsp olive oil and mix well together and saute in a hot frying pan for 2-3 minutes and set aside.


Also, saute the calamari in olive oil, in the same frying pan, for 2-3 minutes, and set aside.


Cut the vegetables into tiny pieces and saute in 2 tbsp olive oil, add the thyme, garlic and sugar and saute until caramelised.  Add the cloves, allspice, chicken cube, the tomato paste, the ouzo, wine, the tomato juice and the orzo pasta and place over medium heat and simmer gently, stirring constantly, adding water until the orzo is tender and the water has been absorbed by the pasta.  Two minutes before the orzo is cooked add the mussels and wait for 1-2 minutes until the mussels are cooked.


Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining olive oil.   Serve with chopped parsley and lemon wedges.





                                                    SALMON FRICASSE

A lovely way of cooking salmon.


210 g (7 oz) spinach, trimmed and washed
2 lettuces, trimmed and washed and thickly sliced
2  spring onions, trimmed and washed and thinly sliced
1 cup finely chopped parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 orange, sliced
Juice of one large orange
50 g (1.7 oz) olive oil
500 g (1 lb) salmon fillets, pin boned
3 sprigs thyme, leaves only
1 sprig rosemary, leaves only. finely chopped


Preheat oven to 180 c (350 F) and place a saucepan with water to boil  and blanch the spinach
slightly, strain and set aside.


In a pyrex dish, place the blanched spinach and the chopped and sliced vegetables evenly over.  Season with salt and pepper to taste, add the orange slices, and drizzle with orange juice and olive oil.  Place the salmon fillets over, and season with salt, pepper and herbs.  Bake for 30-40 minutes until the salmon flakes easily and becomes golden brown by not dry. 





                                       LETTUCE AND TUNNY FISH SALAD

A light meal very easy to prepare

1 lettuce. leaves separated, washed and shredded
2 spring onions, trimmed, washed and finely sliced
1 tbsp chopped dill

250 g (1/2 lb) or more tunny fish tinned in water, strained and flaked
Sauce:
200 g (1 tub) low-fat Greek yoghurt
4 tbsp light mayonnaise
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp parsley leaves, chopped


First prepare the sauce, by combining all the ingredients and mixing well together. Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly.


Place the shredded lettuce, spring onions and dill on a salad bowl and toss well together.  Arrange the tunny fish evenly on top and drizzle with the sauce and sprinkle with chopped parsley and freshly ground black pepper.  Chill, covered for 2 hours before serving on lettuce leaves.

                              OCTOPUS WITH FENNEL BULBS AND WINE

Fennel bulbs are cultivated broadly in Greece.

1.5 kg (3 lb) octopus, cleaned and thoroughly washed

250 ml (1 cup) dry white wine

4-6 peppercorns

85 ml (1/3 cup) olive oil

2 medium-sized onions, peeled and finely chopped

3 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped

4 fennel bulbs, trimmed, quartered from stem to root, and stalks peeled and reserved

1-2 tbsp ain flour

250 ml ( cup) or more vegetable stock (1 carrot, 1 onion, 2 celery stalks, 1 garlic clove,  

                                                                      chopped fennel leaves, Salt and pepper)

The juice of ½ a lemon

½ cup finely chopped fennel leaves

2 tbsp or more ouzo

Place the octopus in a pressure cooker and cook uncovered until the octopus releases its juices.  Lock the lid and cook and simmer for about 6 minutes, then uncover, turn the octopus over add the peppercorns and a little wine, if necessary, and cook for another 10-12 minutes with the lid locked. By this time it should be cooked, if not give it some extra time.  Remove the dark membrane but not the suction cups from the octopus tentacles and cut into bite-sized pieces and reserve.

Sauté the onion in olive oil until soft, add the fennel bulbs and cook for 5 minutes, stir in the flour and cook for 3-4 minutes more until the taste of flour is not evident.  Then pour in the lemon juice and the vegetable stock and simmer for about 15 minutes until the bulbs are just cooked, stirring once or twice.  Add the octopus pieces and sprinkle with the chopped fennel leaves and cook gently for 5 minutes more.  Finally, douse with ouzo and simmer for s few minutes until the alcohol evaporates.  Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.  Serve with  iced ouzo and crispy brown bread.