Greek Spetsiotiko Fish

This is a method of baking fish that comes from the island of Spetses - hence the name Spetsiotiko. It can be used for a few different types of fish. The one we prepared which you can see in the photo is Fagri or sea bream. You can also use large Lavraki or sea bass, Sinagrida or dentex, Sfirida or white grouper, large Tsipoura or dorado. As far as I have checked, these are the correct English translations of the fish names.

Ingredients

1 kg fish

3 cups grated tomatoes

1 ½ cups olive oil

3 tbsp parsley finely chopped

1 clove garlic crushed

1 cup crumbled rusks

Salt and pepper

Preparation

Clean the fish and salt it.

You can leave the fish whole, but if it is large you can cut it into slices.

Make the sauce by mixing all the ingredients in a bowl, apart from the rusks.

Place the fish in an oven dish and pour the sauce over it.

Take half of the rusks and sprinkle them over the fish.

Put a little of the sauce over the rusks to moisten them.

Sprinkle the rest of the rusks on top.

Put in a pre heated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for approx. 1 hour.

During this time, once or twice you can spoon some of the sauce in the oven dish over the fish. If, for some reason, you find that there is not enough sauce, you can add a little white wine.

When it’s done, the sauce should be like a crust on the fish.

Greek Milk Pie (Galatopita)

This is a delicious, healthy and refreshing pie. Personally, I prefer to eat it after it has been kept in the fridge. Lovely for breakfast .... or any other time of the day!

Ingredients

For the filo pastry

300g all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon ouzo

½ teaspoon salt

Enough tepid water to make a pliable but not sticky dough.

For the filling

2 litres milk

120g corn flour

100g all-purpose flour

80g fine semolina

2 vanilla essences

320g sugar

50g butter

2 eggs

50 ml extra virgin olive oil to brush on the filo

For the finish

50 ml olive oil

1 egg

1 teaspoon grated cinnamon

Preparation

Mix all the ingredients for the filo pastry well and add enough tepid water to make a pliable but not sticky dough.

Separate the dough into 4 equal-sized balls.

Cover them with cling film and set them aside for 1 hour while you prepare the filling.

Put 1½ litre of the milk in a heavy-bottomed pan and heat it, without bringing it to the boil.

Beat the 2 eggs, and set them aside.

In a bowl, mix the remaining 500ml of milk with the corn flour, semolina, sugar, flour and vanilla essences.

Transfer this mixture to the warm milk, lower the heat and stir for a few minutes.

Add the eggs to the mixture and beat well and quickly with a metal whisk.

Add the butter and keep beating until you see the first bubbles and you have a nice, rather thick cream.

Cover this with cling film which is touching the cream - not to allow it to form a skin or lumps.

Set it aside, while you roll open the filo pastry.

Roll open the first ball of dough and place it in an oven dish, 38cm diameter and 5cm deep, which has been greased with olive oil.

Allow some of the dough to go over the edges and leave the rest in the dish, even if it is slightly folded.

Brush this with olive oil and repeat the process with each of the balls of dough that you have put aside, brushing with olive oil between each layer.

Remove the cling film from the cream and pour it on top of the filo layers in the oven dish.

Fold in the excess filo from the edges and shape it with the help of a knife.

Brush this edge with olive oil.

For the finish, beat 1 egg well with the 50 ml of olive oil and spread over the cream.

Sprinkle the grated cinnamon on top.

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 1 hour.

Make sure the filo is well baked in the centre – to do this, for the last 5 minutes transfer it to the lowest shelf in your oven.

Greek Briam

Another easily prepared dish. This can be eaten hot or cold and is delicious when accompanied by a large slice of Feta cheese.

Ingredients

½ kg potatoes

½ kg courgettes

½ kg eggplants

2 green peppers

1 medium onion sliced

2 large ripe tomatoes pureed

2 cloves garlic chopped

2 tablespoons roughly chopped parsley

100 ml olive oil

Salt and pepper

500 ml water

Preparation

Cut all the vegetables into round slices approx. ½ cm thick.

Place all the ingredients in a large shallow oven dish, making sure they are well mixed and evenly spread.

Bake in a pre heated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 1 hour or until no water remains, only the oil.

Greek Stuffed Vegetables (Gemista)

This is a very popular dish in the summer. Although stuffed peppers and tomatoes are well enough known, usually we also have stuffed eggplant and zucchini. They are accompanied by potatoes and can also be accompanied by Feta cheese.

Ingredients
6 large ripe tomatoes
4 green peppers
1 large round eggplant
1 large zucchini
12 tablespoons well-rinsed rice
3 medium potatoes cut as for roast potatoes
2 large onions grated
1 clove garlic grated
1 bunch chopped parsley
1 tablespoon chopped mint
1 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation
Wash the vegetables with cold water and place them in a large oven dish.

Remove the insides of the tomatoes by cutting a hole at the top and with a sharp spoon carefully scoop out the flesh, without tearing the skin.

Do not throw away the tops that you have cut off.

Put the flesh in a separate pan.

Remove the insides of the peppers, discard the seeds and put the rest in the same pan as the tomato flesh.

Again, do not throw away the tops that you have cut off.

Cut a thin layer lengthwise from the eggplant and zucchini and scoop out the insides, and put the flesh in the other pan. If the eggplant has seeds, discard as many of them as you can.

Do not throw away the layers that you have cut off.

Put the mixture from the pan into a food processor and grate roughly.

Transfer the mixture back to the pan and add the onions, garlic and parsley.

Bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the rice, seasoning and 2/3 of the olive oil, stir well and remove from the heat.

Fill the empty vegetables in the oven dish with the mixture from the pan, leaving a gap of ½ cm at the top of each.

Close the tops of all the vegetables with the tops that you originally cut off.

Dip the potatoes in the remaining 1/3 of the olive oil and add salt and pepper.

Place the potatoes in the oven dish between the vegetables.

Bake in a preheated, moderate oven for 1½ hours or until the potatoes are soft and golden.

Greek Asparagus Fritters - Sparagokeftedes

 These Asparagus Fritters really are a delightful, light and healthy snack or side dish! They are very simple to make too. Wonderful when accompanied by a dip (see photo). We're sure that you'll enjoy these!

Ingredients

½ kg fresh asparagus

3 tbsp. zucchini (courgette) grated, drained and well-squeezed (to remove excess liquid)

3 tbsp. grated cheese – preferably Kefalograviera or Pecorino

3 tbsp. spring onions finely chopped

2 tbsp. wild fennel finely chopped

1 tsp. fresh mint finely chopped

3 tbsp. rusks finely crumbled

2 tbsp. all-purpose flour

2 eggs

2 tbsp. olive oil

300 ml sunflower oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Rinse the asparagus, keep the soft parts and finely chop these.

Put the olive oil in a saucepan and gently fry the spring onions for 3 minutes.

Remove from the heat, add all the other ingredients (apart from the sunflower oil) and mix well.

Heat the sunflower oil in a frying pan.

When the oil is hot, take 1 tbsp. of the mixture at a time and with the help of another tbsp. form into a fritter shape and deep fry.

Remove the fritters from the oil and place on a dish with absorbent paper.

Serve warm or cold.

Ταξιδεύοντας Με την Κουζίνα, Νέα Αγχίαλος,Μαγνησίας

Ταξιδεύοντας Με την Κουζίνα, "Φάρσαλα"

Ταξιδεύοντας Με την Κουζίνα, Συκή, Νότιο Πήλιο

Ταξιδεύοντας Με την Κουζίνα, Προμύρη,Νότιο Πήλιο

Τυροκροκέτες

Υλικά

200 γραμμάρια φέτα τριμμένη
1 κούπα τυρί τριμμένο
2 φλιτζάνια αλεύρι για όλες τις χρήσεις
1 κουταλάκι του γλυκού μπέικιν πάουντερ
1 κουταλιά της σούπας άνηθο
1 κουταλιά της σούπας δυόσμο
1 ½ φλιτζάνι μπύρα
Αλεύρι για πασπάλισμα
Ηλιέλαιο για τηγάνισμα

Εκτέλεση

Βάζουμε σε ένα μπολ 2 φλιτζάνια αλεύρι για όλες τις χρήσεις.
Προσθέτουμε 1 ½ φλιτζάνι μπύρα και 1 κουταλάκι του γλυκού μπέικιν πάουντερ.
Ανακατεύουμε καλά τα υλικά ώστε να σχηματιστεί ένα μείγμα.
Βάζουμε το μπολ στο ψυγείο για 30 λεπτά για να δέσουν τα υλικά.

Υπολογίζουμε το χρόνο και βγάζουμε από το ψυγείο.
Στο σημείο αυτό ρίχνουμε στο χυλό τον άνηθο, δυόσμο, τυρί τριμμένο, φέτα και την ανακατεύουμε για να αναμειχθεί με τα υπόλοιπα υλικά.
Σχηματίζουμε μικρές μπάλες στο μέγεθος περίπου ενός λουκουμά. Σε ένα μεγάλο μπολ βάζουμε λίγο αλεύρι και πασπαλίζουμε τις μπάλες τυριού πρώτα με λίγο αλεύρι και μετά τηγανίζουμε.
Ζεσταίνουμε το ηλιέλαιο σε ένα τηγάνι.

Μόλις ζεσταθεί το λάδι, ρίχνουμε μέσα τις μπάλες τυριού και τις τηγανίζουμε.
Χρησιμοποιώντας ένα πιρούνι τις γυρνάμε και από τις δύο πλευρές.
Διαπιστώνουμε ότι είναι έτοιμες μόλις πάρουν χρώμα.
Τις βγάζουμε από το τηγάνι και τις τοποθετούμε σε πιάτο ή πιατέλα με απορροφητικό χαρτί κουζίνας.
Τις τυλίγουμε με το χαρτί και τις αφήνουμε λίγα λεπτά πριν τις σερβίρουμε, για να απορροφήσει το χαρτί μια ποσότητα από το λάδι και να μην είναι οι τυροκροκέτες πολύ λιπαρές.

Greek Cheese Pies (Tiropitakia)

This is a recipe for small Greek cheese pies (Tiropitakia). There are many, many varieties of cheese pies in Greece and the recipe here is for delicious small pies that can be eaten as a snack, a side dish or part of a buffet.

Ingredients

For the Dough

1kg all-purpose flour

50g fresh yeast

1 level tbsp. salt

1 tsp salt

Tepid water

For the Filling

1kg anthotiro cheese - crumbled

2 tbsp melted butter

1 tbsp smoked paprika

1 tbsp dried basil

For the Eggwash

2 egg yolks

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp water

200g butter cut into small cubes

Preparation

Dissolve the yeast and sugar in 200ml tepid water.

Put the flour in a large mixing bowl and make a well in the centre.

Add the water with the yeast and sugar gradually and mix gradually with the flour.

Cover the bowl with cling film and leave in a warm place for 30 min.

Add the salt to the dough and enough tepid water to make a pliable dough.

Knead the dough well, cover with cling film and leave in a warm place for at least 1 hour, until it has doubled in size.

 While you are waiting for the dough, prepare the filling - lightly mix the crumbled anthotiro cheese with the melted butter, smoked paprika and basil.

Make a ball from the dough approx. the size of a medium orange and leave the remainder of the dough covered.

On a floured surface roll out the dough ball into a circle with a diameter of 20cm.

Divide the circle into 6 sections as if cutting a pizza.

Brush the dough with melted butter and add a tbsp. of the filling to each of the wide ends of the triangular sections.

Fold the dough over the filling and keep rolling the dough towards the point of the triangle.

Place the 6 pies in a large shallow oven dish with the ‘point’ at the bottom (so it doesn’t open when it swells in the oven). Leave 3cm space between each pie.

Repeat the process with the remaining dough and filling – you will probably need 2 oven dishes.

 Place the butter cubes between the small pies.

Make the eggwash by whisking the egg yolk well with the olive oil and water and then brush the tops of the pies with it.

Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius (moderate) for about 45 min until they are golden brown.

Peinirli

 

Recipe for Peinirli (pronounced peeneerlee). This dish was brought by the Greeks who lived by the Black Sea and had to emigrate to Greece almost 100 years ago. It is a boat-shaped bread with a buttery-cheese filling, though meat can also be added. The name derives from the Turkish word peynirli, meaning 'with cheese'.

The best-known places to eat this in Greece are probably in the suburb of Drosia, outside Athens and Panorama outside Thessaloniki. I remember enjoying it in Panorama (then called Arsakli) as a child, when the Peinirli was more than a snack, but a main dish in itself, and you could break off the bread and dip it in the runny cheese before putting it in your mouth. Wonderful!

This recipe is for 8 peinirlis and if you wish to add ham and bacon, this is included as optional. Greek Kaseri cheese is best, but if you can't get this, then use a yellow cheese that melts easily.

Ingredients

For the dough

500g strong white flour

500g flour suitable for bread-making

50g fresh yeast

100g melted butter

200ml milk

1 egg

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp salt

For the filling

½ kg Kaseri cheese roughly grated

150g butter

Optional - A few oregano leaves

Optional – 1 slice ham and bacon for each peinirli

Preparation

Warm the milk to make it slightly tepid and put in a mixing bowl.

Add the honey and dissolve it.

Add the yeast and dissolve it.

Mix the 2 types of flour together and then add 200g of this mixture to the milk and mix well.

Cover the bowl with cling film and leave in a warm place for 30 minutes, to activate the yeast and rise.

Put the remaining flour in a large bowl and add the salt and melted butter.

Beat the egg in a little tepid water and add to the mixture.

Add the flour and yeast mixture to this mixture and knead well, adding some tepid water to make a non-sticky pliable dough.

Cover the bowl with cling film and leave in a warm place for approx. 1 hour until it has doubled in size.

Divide the dough into 8 equal balls.

Roll each ball out flat and give them an oval shape.

Spread the grated cheese lengthwise in the centre of each one. You can sprinkle a few leaves of oregano on top if you wish.

(If you are using ham and bacon, put the slice of ham at the bottom, the cheese on top of it and the slice of bacon on top of that)

Looking at the dough with the oval-shape horizontal in front of you, take the top left and bottom right corners and fold them in a little bit toward the centre.

Then take the top right and bottom left corners and do the same.

Pinch the two ends of the oval together so that you get the boat-like shape (see photo).

Cut the 150g butter into 8 equal pieces and place in the centre of each.

Sprinkle a shallow oven dish with some flour, place the 8 peinirli on it and leave in a warm place for 30 minutes.

Then put them in a pre heated oven at 250 degrees Celsius for 20-30 minutes, until they are golden brown.

Serve warm.