EASTER

 

 

Easter also called Pascha in Aramaic, Greek and Latin is a significant Christian holiday commemorating the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead, on the third day after His burial, following His crucifixion by the Romans at Calvary.    

 

It the culmination of the Passion of our Lord preceded by Lent, a 40-day period of fasting, prayer, and penance.  

 

Although it is a holiday of high religious significance the Church did not celebrate Easter until a certain point owing to the persecutions the Christians were subjected to, for many centuries, by the Romans. 

 

The significance of Easter is Jesus’ triumph over death, His resurrection, meaning the eternal life granted to all of us who believe in Him.  The purpose of Easter also means the full confirmation our Lord Jesus taught and preached during His ministry.

 

Our Lord’s resurrection provided undeniable proof to non-believers that He was the real Son of God that had come to Earth for our salvation.   

 

Even for believers of other dogmas and agnostics, Jesus Christ is the leader of the world’s largest religion, Christianity.  His teachings were initially conserved by oral transmission and He Himself was referred to as rabbi.

 

Jesus debated with fellow Jews on how to best follow God, He was engaged in healings and other miracles, taught in parables and gathered many followers.

 

Jesus is also revered in other religions such as Islam, Manicheanism and Bahai.  Manicheanism was the first organised religion to recognise Jesus as an important prophet.  In Islam, our Lord is considered an important prophet and the Messiah.  Muslims believe that Jesus was born by a virgin but was neither God nor the Son of God.  The Quran states that Jesús never claimed divinity.  Most Muslims do not believe that Jesus was crucified and killed but that God rose Him into heaven, while He was still alive.

 

In contrast, Judaism respects the belief that Jesus was not the awaited Messiah, as He did not fulfill the messianic prophesies and was neither divine nor resurrected.    

 

 

I am giving you below two dishes typical of Greek Easter:

 

                                              ROAST LEG OF LAMB

A favourite Greek Easter dish.

 

2 kg (4 lb) leg of lamb trimmed of extra fat

Juice of 1 lemon

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 sprigs of fresh rosemary

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced

150 g (5 oz) kephalotyri cut into small sticks, optional

50 g (1 ¾ oz) butter

 

Place the leg of lam on a large double piece of baking parchment.  Rub it with lemon juice and salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. 

 

Make small incisions in the meat and stuff them with sliced garlic and larger ones and stuff them with cheese sticks, if using. Dot the leg of lamb with butter, place the rosemary sprigs over and fold the parchment into a compact parcel.

 

Roast the lamb in an oven preheated to 190C (375 F) for 1 ½ hpirs.  Then discard the parchment and roast for 15 minutes more until tender and golden brown.

 

Serve with roast potatoes and a green salad.

 

 

                                                 GREEK CHEESE PIE

A pie that is very popular in Greece.

 

150 g (5 oz) wholemeal flour

150 g (5 oz) plain flour

Pinch of salt

½ tsp mustard powder

150 g (5 oz) butter, cubed

1 egg

Enough water to form a pliable dough

 

Filling:

500 g (1 lb) feta

250 g ( ½ lb) anthotyro or ricotta cheese

3 tbsp kephalotyri, Parmesan or Cheddar grated

1 large onion peeled and finely grated

4 eggs

200 g (1 small tub) Greek yogurt

Salt, if necessary, freshly grated nutmeg and freshly ground black pepper to taste

 

First, prepare the pastry.  Blend the two flours with mustard powder and salt.  Add then butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.  Add the egg and just enough water for the dough to form a ball around the hook. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes at least. 

 

In a large bowl, crumble the feta and anthotyro or the ricotta and stir in the grated cheese and onion.  Beat the eggs with the yogurt, nutmeg and freshly ground black pepper add then cheese mixture, and stir until very well combined.   You could experiment by adding a small amount of chopped herbs like, thyme, marjoram, or mint.

 

Preheat oven to180 C (350 F) Roll out two thin pastry sheets one larger than the other.  Line a buttered baking dish with the largest sheet and sprinkle with bread crumbs.  Spoon in the filling and even the surface.  Cover with the remaining pastry sheet and two sheets attractively together. Score the top of the pie into portions and bake for 45 minutes to an hour.    

                                                       DOLMADAKIA  

One of my favourite Greek dishes, best prepared in late spring, when vine leaves are tender.

60 vine leaves, blanched plus extra for the dish

Filling:

1 kg (2 lb) minced veal

2 thick slices two-day-old bread soaked in white wine and squeezed dry

3 onions, peeled, thickly grated and sauteed in water and a little olive oil until soft and quite dry

2 tbsp olive oil 

1/2 cup chopped parsley

2 tbsp chopped dill

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 

1 1/2 tbsp butter cut into small pieces

4 mint leaves

500 ml (2 cups) tasty meat stock or more, if necessary

Sauce:

2 tbsp butter

1 bay leaf

3 tbsp cornflour

750 ml (3 cups) tasty meat stock or more, if necessary

Lemon juice to taste

125 ml (1/2 cup) light cream

Mix the first 7 ingredients for the filling well together.  Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary.  Line a large, flat saucepan with the most disfigured vine leaves,  Then start filling the vine leaves in the following way:

Place a vine leaf on a plate, the shiny side of the leaf touching the plate.  Place a teaspoonful of filling near the base of the vine leaf and fold the sides evenly over.  Then roll it up into a neat parcel,  Repeat the same procedure with the remaining vine leaves and filling and arrange them side by side, cylindrically, in the prepared saucepan.   When the first layer is completed, dot with half the butter and place 2 mint leaves over. Place a second layer of dolmadakia over the first and dot with the remaining butter and mint leaves. Place a piece of baking parchment and a plate on top.  Pour in the meat stock and bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer very, very gently for about 35-40 minutes, making sure that they are well covered with stock during the cooking period.   

You could cool the saucepan and ice overnight.  The next day transfer the dolmadakia to another flat saucepan, discard the mint leaves and strain a little cooking liquid over and simmer gently to heat.

Meanwhile, prepare the sauce, which is like a thick avgolemono without eggs.  Melt the butter, add the bay leaf and sift the cornflour evenly over, stirring for 3-4 minutes,  Pour in the hot cooking liquid and extra meat stock, if necessary, in 3 portions, beating well after each addition, until the sauce bubbles and thickens.  Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the lemon juice and cream.  Taste and add more salt, pepper and lemon juice if preferred.

Discard the bay leaf, pour the sauce over the hot dolmadakia and Kali orexi!