Here are some recipes of the celebrated Greek chef, Lefteris
Lazarou, who has won the golden chef award, for dishes that could be offered
to celebrate the bicentennial of the Greek independence from the Ottoman Empire.
SEA URCHIN RISOTTO
1 cup diced onion
¼ cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 cup Arborio rice
4-5 cups tasty chicken stock
125 ml (½ cup) white wine
1 cup fresh sea urchin roe, cleaned of spine and sand,
divided
Sauté the onions in olive oil until soft and golden and
season with salt and pepper. Stir in the
rice to completely coat with olive oil and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Pour in the wine and stir until it is almost
absorbed. Add ½ cup of stock and cook
over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until the stock is almost
absorbed. Continue in the same
procedure, a cup at a time for 18 minutes until the rice reaches the
consistency you require, it should be moist and creamy, not dry.
When the rice is almost done stir in ¼ cup of the sea urchin
roe, and divide the risotto between 4 warm plates. Make a shallow hollow in the center of each
portion and fill it with the remaining urchin roe and serve immediately.
CUTTLEFISH WITH TOMATO SAUCE
1 kg (2 lb) fresh cuttlefish
3-4 tomatoes, halved, deseeded, grated, skins discarded
1 large onion, peeled and grated
250 ml ( 1 cup) of Robola or any other white wine
½ bunch of parsley, chopped
125 ml ( ½ cup) of olive oil
1 bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Discard the bone, the intestines, and the bag of ink from the
cuttlefish, wash thoroughly and cut into small pieces. Sauté the onion in olive oil, add the
cuttlefish and cook for a while. Then
pour in the wine and cook for 5 minutes, add the tomatoes, bay leaf, the
parsley, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Pour in some lukewarm water and simmer at low heat until the
cuttlefish are tender and left with the sauce, do not overcook. Serve them warm
over spiced rice.
MEATBALLS WITH YOGURT SAUCE
Meatballs:
500 g (1 lb) minced veal
100 g (3.5 oz) rice
1 bunch of parsley, finely chopped
60 g (2 oz) gruyere
1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
100 g (3.5 oz) dried tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp thyme leaves
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Plain flour for frying
2 eggs for frying
Olive oil for frying
Sauce:
200 g (7 oz) yogurt
1 boiled mashed potato
1 tsp finely chopped marjoram
A tiny pinch of Cayenne pepper
5-6 saffron threads diluted
1 tbsp warm olive oil
A pinch of salt
Sauté the onion with half the mincemeat and let them
cool. Boil the rice in salted water,
drain and let it cool.
In a large bowl mix the browned minced meat with the
remaining minced meat, the rice, thyme, dried tomatoes, parsley, gruyere, and
salt and pepper to taste. Shape into
meatballs, cover, and refrigerate for2 hours at least.
Crack the eggs in one bowl and whip them and the flour in
another bowl. Heat the olive oil in a
frying pan, flour the meatballs, dip them in whipped eggs and fry them until
they become golden brown on both sides, and keep warm.
Make the sauce by combining all the ingredients together and
warm over low heat, but DO NOT BOIL!
Place the warm meatballs into the warm sauce and serve creamy mashed potatoes.
SPAGHETTI WITH AVOCADO PESTO AND BABY TOMATOES
I can not remember who gave me this fantastic recipe.
1 packet spaghetti, boiled in salted water until “al dente”,
drained and drizzled with olive oil
Avocado pesto:
2 ripe avocados
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 cup fresh basil
A little olive oil
¼ cup pine nuts, roasted
Salt and pepper to taste
(Blend all the ingredients to a smooth paste)
Heat the pesto but do not boil
250 g (½ lb) baby tomatoes, sauteed in a little olive oil
Serve the hot spaghetti with the warm pesto sauce garnished with baby tomatoes.
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