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.
