GOURMET GREEK DISHES (Continued)

                               

 

 

                                               SHRIMPS ALA SPETSIOTA

A delicious seafood dish from Spetses.

 

1 onion, peeled and sliced

Olive oil

3 tomatoes, halved, deseeded, grated, skins discarded

1½ cup dry white wine

2 tsp fresh oregano leaves

750 g (1 ½ lb) shrimps, shelled, deveined, thoroughly washed and patted dry

250 g (½ lb) feta, crumbled

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Cayenne pepper, optional

Chopped parsley

 

Sauté the onion in olive oil until translucent, pour in the tomato and simmer until the mixture thickens a little, pour in the wine and cook until the alcohol evaporates and season to taste with salt, pepper and a tiny pinch of Cayenne, if using.

 

Add the prawns and simmer for 2 minutes on each side until they turn pink. Add most of the feta and stir and cook until it melts.

 

Sprinkle the remaining feta on top along with chopped parsley and crusty bread and lemon wedges.

 

                                           SPINACH PIE (SPANAKOPITA)

A different way of preparing this favourite Greek pie.

 

500 g (1 lb) spinach, trimmed and thoroughly washed

2 knobs of butter

1 onion, peeled and chopped

1 garlic clove, peeled and minced

250 g (½ lb) feta, crumbled

4 tbsp toasted pine nuts

3 eggs, whipped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Grated nutmeg to taste

6 sheets phyllo pastry

½ tsp caraway seeds

 

Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F).  Wilt spinach in slightly salted boiling water, allow to cool, then drain well, squeezing the excess liquid out with your hands and place in a bowl.

 

Sauté the onion in a knob of butter for 5 minutes until soft.  Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.   Remove from the heat and add to the bowl with the spinach, feta, pine nuts and eggs.  Mix well together and season to taste with salt pepper and grated nutmeg.

 

Spoon into a buttered 1 litre baking dish.  Brush the phyllo sheets lavishly with melted butter and lightly scrunch the pastry and lay over the spinach mixture.   Sprinkle with caraway seeds and bake for 30 minutes until crisp and golden.  Serve with a Greek salad.   

 

 

                  FRIED COURGETTES FRITTERS – KOLOKYTHOKEFTEDES

 

Always a success!

2 cups grated courgettes, drained in a colander overnight

1/3 cup San Mihalis, grated

¾ cup plain flour

¼ tsp chopped fresh dill

¼ tsp chopped fresh parsley

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

¼ cup mild-tasting olive oil for frying

Lemon juice

 

Combine all the ingredients except oil and flour, in a large bowl, and mix well together.

 

Shape walnut-sized, balls, flatten out, dust in flour and fry in hot olive oil until golden brown and crisp on the outside and juicy in the centre. Place on kitchen paper to drain before serving sprinkled with lemon juice.

 

 

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