A FEW RECIPES FROM THE ISLAND OF MILOS

 

                   DELICIOUS CHEESE PIES FROM THE ISLAND OF MILOS

Here is the recipe for “pitaroiudia Milou”:

 

Preheat the oven to,180 C (350 F) and line two tins with baking parchments

 

Pastry:

250 g (8.8 oz) plain flour

120 ml (½ cup) lukewarm water

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp lemon juice

½ tsp salt

Mix all the ingredients in a blender, until the dough forms a ball around the hook. Cover the dough with cling film and ice overnight.

 

Filling:

½ an onion, peeled and grated

80 g (3 oz) Kefalotyri or pecorino, grated

60 g (2 oz) Graviera from Crete, grated

1 egg, beaten

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Mix everything well together and refrigerate overnight

 

The next day roll out the dough into two thin sheets. Place one sheet on a floured surface and place teaspoonfuls of filling evenly over the sheet.  Wet around the filling and place the second sheet on top and press firmly to seal the filling securely, and with a sharp knife cut into small packets.   Place the pitaroudia into he prepared tin and bake for 30 minutes until crisp and golden. 

 

 

 

                                                     CURED SARDINES

It is very easy to cure sardines or any other small fish,

 

24 sardines, heads cut off, scaled, degutted, thoroughly washed and patted dry

1 cup salt

 

Place the sardines in a glass container nd sprinkle both sides with salt.  Cover the container with cling film and refrigerate for 2 days.

 

Remove the sardines from the fridge and rinse them clean of salt.  Peel off the skin if you wish.  Cover with olive oil and store them in the fridge for about 2 weeks.

 

Serve drizzled the olive oil and lemon sauce and sprinkled with chopped parsley.

 

For the citronette:

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp lemon juice

The grated rind of ½ a lemon

1 tsp mustard

A very little salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

 

 

                                            LOBSTER WITH SPAGHETTI

 

Astakmakaronada s a popular Greek dish  Each island and town in Greece has its own recipe This is one of the best. 

 

2 lobsters weighing about 500 g (1 lb) each

2 bay leaves

10 peppercorns

Salt to taste

500 g (1 lb) spaghetti, or other pasta

2 tbsp butter

 

Tomato Sauce:

5 large, ripe tomatoes, halved, deseeded, grated, skins discarded

3 tbsp butter or olive oil

1 tsp sugar or more

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

¼ tsp Cayenne pepper

1 bay leaf

250 ml to 500 ml (1—2 cups) water in which the lobster was boiledPrepare

 

Boil the lobster with the bay leaves, peppercorns, and salt to taste, with enough water to just cover, for about 20 minutes.

 

Place all the ingredients for the tomato sauce in a saucepan and simmer until it thickens.

 

Cut the lobsters in half, and reserve the water.  Remove the flesh, discard the intestines, slice and place back into the shells.

 

Boils the spaghetti in the reserved water, plus extra, if necessary, until “al dente”, strain and stir in 2tbspof butter.

 

To serve place the spaghetti on a large serving dish, cover with the sauce and surround with the lobster halves and garnish with basil and parsley.

                                            

                                         SHRIMP AND MUSHROOM PASTA

A delicious seafood dish,

500 g (1 lb) spaghetti, boiled in salted water until "al dente" strained and drizzled with olive oil

Sauce:

4 tbsp olive oil

5 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped

Two 500 g packets (2 lb) concentrated tomato juice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper

1 tbsp of sugar or more, according to the acidity of the tomatoes

1 kg (2 lb) fresh mushrooms, quartered, sauteed in olive oil, and sprinkled with a little salt

1 kg (2 lb) shrimp, shelled, deveined and sauteed in olive oil and sprinkled with a little salt

Saute the garlic in 2 tbsp of olive oil for 2 minutes or until soft.  add the tomato juice and sprinkle with sugar, and salt, pepper, and Cayenne  to taste, stirring all the time.  Bring to the boil, cover the saucepan and simmer very gently for 15 minutes to half an hour, until the sauce thickens,.

Stir in mushroom with their juices,, cover the saucepan, and simmer for 5 minutes more.  Finally, add the shrimps and simmer for 1 minute more, just to heat,  Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly, if necessary, 

When ready to serve, heat the pasta in a large, flat saucepan, and cover with the shrimp 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!   

A photo of Milos with one of its restaurants: