EUROPEAN DISHES

 Here are a few recipes for European winter dishes;

                                                   CHESTNUT SOUP

1 kg (2 lb) boiled chestnuts, peeled and chopped

2 large leeks, split lengthwise, thoroughly washed, white parts only, sliced

1 onion, peeled and chopped

2 potatoes, peeled and chopped

2100 ml (6 cups) tasty chicken stock

100 g (3.3 oz) grated kasseri or gouda

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1 tsp grated nutmeg

1 liqueur glass METAXA brandy

 

125 ml (½ cup) light cream

Chopped parsley for garnish

 

Boil the vegetables, in a large saucepan with sufficient water to just cover, until tender.  Set aside to cool and blend.

 

Return the chestnut puree to the saucepan add the stock, sprinkle with freshly ground pepper and grated nutmeg and simmer gently until the soup thickens.  Stir in the cheese and taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper and nutmeg if necessary.

 

Serve the soup in bowls, with a teaspoon of cream and sprinkled with chopped parsley.  

 

 

                         CHICKEN ROLLS FILLED WITH BACON AND CHEESE

2 chicken breasts, butterflied and pounded as thin as possible

12 bacon rashers

8 slices of San Mihalis cheese or more

Flour to cover

4 tbsp olive oil

2 knobs of butter

2 liqueur glasses of METAXA brandy

500 ml (2 cups) or more tasty chicken stock or more

1 bouquet garni (1 bay leaf + 2 thyme sprigs + 2 sprigs of sage)

 

Sauce:

2 onions, peeled and grated

2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

500 g (1 lb) cultivated mushrooms

500 g (1 lb) wild mushroom

1 heaped tbsp of flour

1 bay leaf

Chicken stock

 

Place one  piece of butterflied chicken, season with pepper and stuff with half the slices of cheese and 6 slices of bacon, sprinkle with thyme leaves, and roll it up tightly, tie with kitchen string and sprinkle with flour.   Repeat the same procedure with the second turkey breast.

 

Sauté the rolls with olive oil and butter until well browned all over.  Discard most of the olive oil and butter, reserving the excess, pour in the brandy and simmer for a few minutes allowing the alcohol to evaporate.  Then add the chicken stock and the bouquet garni and simmer gently for 35 – 40 minutes or until the chicken is tender, discard the bouquet and reserve the stock for the sauce.

 

Meanwhile, prepare the mushroom sauce.  Sauté the onion in the reserved olive oil and butter mixture until it softens a little.  Then add the garlic and mushrooms and simmer until cooked and dry.  Sprinkle evenly with flour, add the bay leaf and cook, stirring for 4-5 minutes to prevent the taste of raw flour.  Finally pour in the reserved chicken stock and simmer until the sauce bubbles and thickens. Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly and discard the bay leaf. 

 

Serve the chicken rolls sliced, covered with mushroom sauce, accompanied by chips or roast potatoes and a salad of your choice.   

 

 

                                           AVOCADO SALAD DRESSING

2 ripe avocadoes

2 garlic cloves peeled and minced

62.5 ml (¼ cup) olive oil

Salt, freshly ground white pepper and lemon juice to taste

½ cup parsley leaves

 

Blend all the ingredients together adding a little water for a thinner consistency.   Pour over the salad and toss.  You might not need it all, so store the remaining sauce in the fridge for not more than 2 days. 

 

 

                                             MEAT AND VEGETABLE STEW

1 kg (2 lb) meat, cut into bite-sized pieces

A heaped tbsp plain flour

2 tbsp olive oil

2 onions, peeled and finely chopped

2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped

2 celery stalks, threaded and finely sliced

1 bouquet garni (1 bay leaf + 2 sprigs of thyme + 2 sprigs of sage + 1 tsp of peppercorns)

250 ml (1 cup) red wine

500 ml (2 cups) thick tomato juice

 

Dry the meat, sprinkle evenly with flour and sauté in olive oil until brown on all sides.  Add the vegetables and the bouquet and sauté until the vegetables are almost tender.  Pour in the wine and cook, stirring until the alcohol evaporates about 4-5 minutes. Sprinkle with salt to taste.  

 

Finally, pour in the tomato juice, cover the saucepan with a lid, and simmer gently for 30 minutes until the meat is tender and the sauce bubbles and thickens. Taste for seasoning and add a little salt and pepper if necessary. Discard the bouquet and serve with mashed potatoes.  

  

    

                                        QUINCES COOKED IN RED WINE

3 medium-sized quinces cut in four, each segment sliced in half, cored and deseeded

2 tbsp butter

1 liqueur glass METAXA brandy

250 ml (1 cup) Mavrodaphe or any other sweet red wine

750 ml (3 cups) tasty meat stock, you might not need it all

A spice-pouch with:

1 cinnamon stick + 4 cloves + a small slice of ginger + 2 pieces of star anise + 1 tsp peppercorns

Almonds for garnish

 

Sauté the quinces in butter for about 10 minutes until they start softening a little. Add the spice pouch and pour in first the brandy and then the Mavrodaphne and cook for 5-6 minutes more until the alcohol evaporates. 

 

Add sufficient meat stock to just cover the fruit.  Place a piece of baking parchment over the quinces, cover the saucepan and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the fruit is cooked and tender. Remove with a slotted spoon and place in a round Pyrex dish. Simmer the sauce until it thickens and becomes syrupy and pour over the fruit.