All of my recipes will not be found on the internet because they have been handed down by my Kalymnian people and are copied here most carefully. Only the hot sauce recipe has been obtained elsewhere, but I've added some Poppi magic of my own.

Note: If you can't cook, copy these recipes off on a flashdrive, print out and hand to your parents to cook.

Gigantes Plaki, or Slow-cooked Greek beans with tomatoes, herbs and red wine.



Saturated with intense flavour, these tender, plump beans are an example of peasant food at its best. If you are lucky enough to find the huge, white `giant beans' with which this dish is traditionally made,
then snap them up and never mind the expense, but be sure to give them a long soak overnight. They need to absorb water and swell up before being cooked. During this time and throughout the beans' slow cooking, leave the salt out lest they go hard.

In Greece this dish is habitually baked all day long in the coolest part of a wood-fired oven not very practical for most of those in the UK and elsewhere, but if you possess a slow-cooker (or an Aga), now is the time to use it. We cook the beans on top of the stove, but this requires a very solid pan, a low heat, and intermittent stirring to make sure they don't catch no hassle, provided you're spending the day pottering around at home. The long, slow cooking is necessary for the full flavour of the dish to develop, and it's even better if you make it a day in advance.

The beans are traditionally served lukewarm, at which temperature their flavour is most intense.

Ingredients:
250 g (9 oz) dried butter beans
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for serving
4 medium onions, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon dried mixed herbs or Greek oregano
3 large cloves of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
450 g (1 lb) ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped, or a 400 g (14 oz) tin of chopped tomatoes and juice
1 tablespoon sun-dried tomato paste
230 ml (8 fl oz) dry red wine
salt to taste

Soak the butter beans overnight in plenty of cold water. If you forget, pour boiling water on them, then leave to soak for at least 4 hours.

In a large, heavy pan or flame-proof casserole, warm the oil and sauté the onions and oregano for a few minutes. Add the garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste and wine.

Rinse the beans thoroughly in more cold water, then drain and add them to the pan. Stir well, and top up with a little water if necessary, so the beans are just submerged in liquid.

Bring it all to the boil, then turn the heat down until barely simmering, put a lid on the pan and cook as slowly as possible, stirring from time to time and adding extra boiling water if necessary, for between 6 and 9 hours, until the beans are tender. Patience is needed, for this meal can't be rushed.

On a gas hob you may need a heat diffuser to get the temperature low enough.

Add salt only when the beans are tender, not before, as it will make them stay tough.

When the beans are cooked to your satisfaction, turn up the heat a little and cook uncovered for a while to reduce the sauce, but only if necessary.

Serve the beans lukewarm, with a little extra olive oil drizzled over them, accompanied by some good hot, crusty bread (or garlic bread), a crisp green side-salad and plenty of ice-cold retsina, Mythos beer or a nnice plummy rich red wine from barrel to carafe, very cheap.


Wonderful.



UGH - "10,000 character too long". Fuck Woltlabs



There'll be many more recipes to come later.

Having waited the required 30 seconds, here we go again


Rhoda Koullias' Stuffed Tomatoes


The tomatoes would come out of Mummy's garden and would be termed "beef" because home grown beef tomatoes are the largest, delicious and most fragrant you can ever have, or ask for. There's a saying, "If you can't smell em, then you can't taste em." This is so true of shop bought tomatoes. In Pothia the 'beefs' cos no more than 80 cents a kilo and that's maximum.
Awesome.

This recipe is 12 stuffed tomatoes for 6 people, though we are such a hungry lot we'll happily eat 4 in one sitting, no problem!

Ingredients:
12 firm, ripe beef tomatoes
salt, pinch granulated sugar
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large red onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed to release the aromas, then chopped finely
1/4 c chopped fresh parsley
1/2 lb lean lamb or veal, ground
1/4 c white wine, dry
1/4 c spring water, because our tap water is undrinkable
6 tablespoons long-grain rice
freshly ground pepper
2 sprigs fresh mint, or green basil
1 level teaspoon of grated nutmeg


You must always wash the tomatoes, then turn each stem-side down, and with a sharp knife carefully cut the end now up to make an opening or "cap" being careful not to detach the cap entirely.

With a small spoon, carefully, without breaking the outer skin of the tomatoes, scoop the pulp into a bowl. Place the tomato shells in a baking-serving dish large enough to support them touching. Sprinkle the inside of the shells with salt and sugar. Meanwhile, prepare the stuffing.

Heat the oil in a heavy skillet and add the onions. Cook over moderate heat until soft and transparent, then add the garlic and parsley, and blend.

Add the meat, mashing with a fork, then add the wine and water, cover, and simmer for a few minutes.

Add the rice and tomato pulp and stir. (Tomato juice may be added if necessary, since the mixture should provide enough liquid for the rice to absorb.)

Cover the skillet and simmer about 7 minutes, then add salt, pepper, mint or basil, and nutmeg. Taste for seasoning.

Remove from heat, and fill the tomatoes up about two-thirds of the way with the stuffing and liquid. Cover with tomato caps, brush with oil.

Bake in a moderate oven (350 F) until the rice is tender (approximately 50 minutes to 1 hour), basting inside the tomatoes with liquid released by them. Serve warm.

Note: For Tomatoes stuffed with rice, use 1 1/4 cups raw long-grain white rice instead of the meat and rice in the above recipe and, eliminate the wine. Include with the other seasonings a few tablespoons
each of black raisins and 2 tablespoons pine nuts, if you like, as pine nuts lent a nice texture and taste. Rice in baked stuffed dishes takes much longer to cook then over a burner.

Stuffed green peppers, also popular are green peppers that can be made in the same way.


Mummy's Pork and Beans


This Kalymnian recipe for Pork and Beans is one that reflects a traditional method of cooking: meat and vegetables are prepared separately on the stovetop, then combined and cooked in the oven until
the tastes meld. Any type of dried bean works well but, as the beans get bigger, use large pieces of meat.

Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Serves 6

Ingredients:
2 pounds of pork, cut in small or medium chunks
1 pound of Great Northern beans or gigantes or giant lima beans
¾ pound of fresh carrots, diced
½ bunch of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
3 ripe tomatoes, pureed (or 2 1/2 cups of stewed tomatoes, pureed)
1 small onion, minced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup of olive oil
½ teaspoon of salt
¼ cup of olive oil
¼ cup of dry red wine
½ teaspoon of salt


Note: If using Great Northern beans, cut the pork in small chunks. If using yigandes (or giant lima beans), cut pork in larger pieces.

Soak the beans overnight in water. Drain well and bring to a full boil in plenty of water over high heat. Drain and rinse, add enough fresh water to cover plus 3 inches, cover, and boil over medium heat for 45 minutes to one hour, or until the beans are soft but not mushy. (If using canned pre-cooked beans, omit these steps.)

Drain beans, rinse under cold water, and set aside.

In a large saucepan, combine 1 cup of olive oil, carrots, tomatoes, onion, garlic, parsley, and ½ teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. When it reaches a full boil, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered over medium-low heat for 45 minutes, until the carrots are soft. Add ¾ cup of boiling water after 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 390F (200C).

Season the pork with ½ teaspoon of salt and transfer to a large saucepan along with ¼ cup of olive oil. Brown the meat, stirring frequently, over low heat. When meat is browned and most of the liquid has
evaporated, douse (deglaze) with the wine and continue to cook over low heat until tender. Time will depend on the size of the pieces of meat, but it doesn't take long.

In an oven-proof baking dish or roasting pan, combine beans, vegetables with their liquid, and pork. Stir to mix well. Add ½ cup of water and bake at 390F (200C). After the liquid in the pan comes to boil, bake for 30 minutes.

Note: This dish should not be soupy but if it starts to get too dry while cooking, add ½ to ¾ cup of boiling water.


Rabbit Stifado


Rabbit is rich in good nutrients, especially wild rabbit. A winter stew of this makes for economical eating. Very satisfying when serves with Greek giant beans slow cooked in the over with herbs and red wine (recipe of that to follow soon).

Ingredients:
115ml red-wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
4-6 grains allspice (or ¼ tsp ground)
1 stick cinnamon
4 bayleaves
1 orange, zested
1 large rabbit (or 2 small), jointed
about 5 tablespoons / 80ml extra-virgin olive oil
4 fluid ounces /140ml red wine
3 lbs /1.5kg small onions, peeled
2 tablespoons tomato purée
1 teaspoon honey
Salt and pepper


In a bowl, mix the vinegar, garlic, allspice, cinnamon, bay and orange zest. Add the rabbit, stir to make sure the meat is well covered, then leave to marinade overnight or for 24 hours.

Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/gas mark 3. Take out the rabbit bits and dry on kitchen towel.

Heat the oil in a casserole, and fry the rabbit, a few pieces at a time, until golden all over.

Once browned, put all the rabbit bits in the casserole, add the marinade, wine, onions, tomato purée and honey, then add water to cover and bring to a simmer on the stove-top.

Transfer to the oven for an hour and a half or so, until the meat is falling off the bones.

Check the juices for seasoning, and if necessary reduce to an intensity you like.

All this needs is just a green salad and good bread by way of accompaniment.



Grilled Octopus over the fire.

Ingredients:
1 whole raw octopus, medium sized
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 whole lemons, squeezed
1 whole octopus
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon oregano
1-2 pinch pepper, to taste
2-3 pinchs sea salt, or to taste
1 cup red wine vinegar



Tenderize the octopus with a meat hammer or, thrash it against concrete as Greeks most enthusiastically do, to soften it up.

Next, cut and clean the octopus into pieces about twice the size of a serving, because the meat will shrink when it's cooked.

Combine the vinegar, a ¼ cup of olive oil, the garlic, some oregano, salt and pepper.

Place marinade in large ziploc bad and add octopus.

Marinate octopus overnight for best results, but three hours in the fridge will do.

To cook, warm the grill to low-medium heat and lay the meat on the grill.

Baste with a mixture of the remaining olive oil, the juice from the lemons and the oregano, being careful not to cause a flame to erupt in the barbecue.


When the octopus is done (about 15 minutes) plate it up and pour the remaining marinade over the octopus and serve. In Greece it is handed to you with a wedge of lemon on the side to squeeze over the octopus. I simply adore drinking ouzo with octopus. Over ice pour a generous measure of ouzo (it will cut into a milky colour) and drink with this delicious, traditional speciality.


There will be many more to come. At this rate I'll be here all sodding night

Octopus Croquettes from Kantouni, Kalymnos


Makes about 25 - 30

Ingredients:
3.5 to 4 lbs. octopus (I used about 7 smaller octopus), cleaned
3 scallions, 1 scallion left whole and 2 finely chopped
2 sprigs tarragon
Small bunch parsley, 2 sprigs left whole, the rest finely chopped
10 to 12 whole black peppercorns
1 loaf of stale bread, crusts removed
2 medium onions, finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried Greek oregano
2 large eggs
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Bread crumbs as needed
1 cup all-purpose flour for dredging
Olive oil for frying


Place the cleaned octopus in a stock pot, cover with water, add the tarragon, 1 scallion, a couple sprigs of parsley and the peppercorns. If using smaller octopus they should turn out much more tender than a larger octopus, however, add a cork to the stockpot as well for good measure. Cover and simmer over low heat for about 35 to 40 minutes. Remove octopus from the pot and cool slightly.


Coarsely chop the octopus and place in a food processor. Pulse until the octopus is finely chopped. Remove the octopus to a large bowl. Cut the stale bread into large chunks, moisten with some water and squeeze with your hands to remove any excess liquid. Add it to the octopus along with the onions, garlic, remaining parsley, scallions, oregano and eggs. Mix well. Add some breadcrumbs until the mixture becomes firm enough to later be rolled into balls. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to four.

Heat about an inch of olive oil in a Dutch oven until quite hot. Shape the octopus mixture into bite-size balls and roll lightly in the flour. Fry the octopus croquettes a few at a time, turning once, until evenly browned (a few minutes is all they need). Serve warm with wedges of lemon.



Maria Lisgaris's Moussaka

Ingredients:
3 large eggplants
1 kg of extra lean ground beef
4 tbsp of olive oil
2 large onions, diced
3 bay leaves
6 cloves of minced garlic
1 can of plum tomatoes, pureed (or Pomodoro)
½ cup white wine
salt, pepper
1 tsp dried basil
3 tsp dried oregano
½ level tsp cinnamon


Peel, wash and cut the eggplants into large, thin slices. Salt and them to drain for at least an hour. Pat them dry, brush them with olive oil, grill them on high heat (3 minutes per side) and reserve.

Prepare the meat sauce by pouring olive oil into a sauce pan and add your onions, garlic and bay leaves. Reduce to medium-low and cook until the onions are translucent. Add your beef and brown. Season with salt and pepper.

Add your wine and reduce until there's barely any liquid. Add your tomato sauce, oregano, dried basil. Simmer until you have a thick meat sauce. Adjust seasoning and add your cinnamon. Remove the bay leaves and set aside your sauce.


Béchamel Sauce
½ cup butter
½ cup flour
5 cups of warm milk (no lighter than 2%)
4 eggs
¾ cup of Kefalotiri or Romano cheese
salt to taste
pinch of grated nutmeg

Put the butter in a pot to melt. Add the flour, stirring quickly with a wooden spoon to prevent lumps from forming. Stir & cook the flour/butter mixture to a golden colour. Pour in the milk while stirring and then and salt to taste, stirring the mixture constantly. When it thickens, turn off the heat and add your cheese and slowly pour in your eggs, continue stirring.

Add your nutmeg and stir.


Assemble
In a large casserole, place one layer of eggplant on the bottom then spread some meat sauce over top and sprinkle with some grated cheese.

Add the second layer of eggplant and again the meat sauce and the grated cheese. Pour the Béchamel Sauce on top and sprinkle more grated cheese to help with a crisp, golden surface. Bake in a pre-heated 375F oven for 30-40 minutes or when top is golden brown.


Allow the Moussaka to rest for 30 minutes before cutting and serving.



Greek Salad


The secret of any best Greek salad is organic fresh salad leaves, tomatoes, bell peppers and cucumber, the finest extra virgin olive oil you can obtain, fresh herbs (but dried will do) and a nice creamy but
mild Feta. Feta that is most commonly available is the "Total" brand made by Fage Dairies and exported worldwide. Just don't use lettuce because it is never used in authentic Greek salad.


Serves 4 generously

Ingredients
500 g / 1 pound Feta cheese, drained and set aside
6 beef tomatoes, chopped medium
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, halved, and cut into ½ inch pieces
1 small to medium red onion, finely chopped
1 seeded and slice green bell pepper
½ cup Kalamata olives (we never use stoned because they have no flavour)
1½ tablespoons chopped fresh oregano, but marjoram will do, or, ½ teaspoon dried
1½ tablespoons chopped fresh coriander or parsley, or, ½ teaspoon dried
2 tablespoons of the best extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
juice of half a fresh lemon
pinch salt
pinch freshly ground black pepper


Setting aside the Feta and a little of the fresh herbs, mix all the salad ingredients in a large bowl, sprinkle over the vinegar and lightly season.

Slice the Feta into pieces and lay them on top. Sprinkle with the rest of the fresh herbs

Drizzle extra virgin olive oil on top of the Feta.

Cover the Greek salad with cling film and set aside for at least half an hour for the flavours to unite then serve with warm fresh crusty bread or warmed pizza bread.








LAMB Gyros. Utterly delicious! Recipe from Kalymnos' maritime capital, Pothia.


6 servings

Ingredients:
2 pounds lean lamb, ground
2 slices bread; toasted, crushed
1 teaspoon allspice; pounded
1 teaspoon coriander seed; crushed
1 garlic clove; crushed
1 onion; grated
1 teaspoon chopped fresh savoury
Salt & freshly ground pepper
3 slices bacon
6 pita bread pockets
2 tomatoes, sliced thin
Vinegar & oil to taste
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 cup plain yogurt


In a large bowl, combine the ground lamb with the bread, allspice, coriander, garlic, onion, savoury, and salt and pepper, and knead thoroughly. The mixture should be spicy, though not too herby, and hold its shape.

Break into 5 sections, each as large as a navel orange, then break each section into 6 balls.

Knead and flatten slightly to a thickness of about ¾". Cut the bacon slices into widths equal to these balls, keeping the slices of bacon between them.

Slip a cane skewer through the centres and roll gently with the palms to smooth the edges. (There will be 5 or 6 skewers, depending on their length.)

Cover and refrigerate overnight.

When ready to cook, set on a broiler tray or grill and cook under moderate heat, turning every 5 minutes. (The bacon will baste the meat.)

The surface will be crusty and the inside cooked within 25 minutes.


To serve:

Put out the bread, meat, tomatoes seasoned with the vinegar and oil, parsley and yogurt in separate dishes. Guests may open pocket bread and stuff them with meat and seasonings.


Tzatziki sauce for gyros


For 1


2 small cucumbers
Salt
1 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
White pepper
3 garlic cloves; or more
cup mint leaves; fresh*



*Use fresh mint leaves, shredded, 2 tablespoons dried mint, crushed or ¼ cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley.

Use more or less garlic, minced, to your preference. Peel, seed and dice cucumbers. Sprinkle with salt and set aside to drain.

Combine yogurt, olive oil, fresh lemon juice, pepper and garlic in large bowl. Cover and refrigerate.

Just before serving, beat yogurt sauce with wooden spoon until smooth. Have fresh mint torn into small pieces.

Dry cucumber by gently squeezing between paper towels. Combine cucumbers with mint leaves and yogurt mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste.



Lambkin with Fennel, by Diane Pseremontis from 'Babis Bar', Myrtes

Ingredients:
1,5 kg lambkin, cut in servings
1 coffee cup olive oil
10 spring onions, finely cut
2 peeled tomatoes, cut in wedges
2 spoons of finely cut dill
2 spoons of finely cut parsley
1/4 kg fennel
1 wine glass of white wine
Salt
Pepper


Use a large saucepan and heat the oil to sauté the lambkin servings until golden. Remove meat from saucepan and place into a platter.

Sauté the slices of onions until golden. Place the meat back into the saucepan and add the wine.

When most of the wine has evaporated add tomatoes, salt, pepper, one glass of water and when the meat starts to boil simmer for half an hour.

Then add fennel, which you have previously cut in thick pieces, and simmer for half an hour more. Finally add dill and parsley and simmer for 5 more minutes. Check that meat is tender. If not simmer for more hour. Serve warm with fried potatoes on the side.

More recipes to come later

Baked lamb with yoghurt sauce

Ingredients:
1 kg of lamb, cut in medium size portions (preferably choose leg)
4 spoons butter
1 garlic clove
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt
Pepper


For the sauce:
500 grams strained yoghurt
2 glasses milk
1 spoon corn flour
4 eggs


Season the lamb pieces with salt and pepper. Place them in a saucepan and add garlic, lemon juice, butter and one glass of water.

Bring to boil and then let the meat simmer for 45 minutes. Remove lamb from saucepan and place it in a baking pan. Strain the meat's sauce and pour it in the baking pan. Let the meat bake in 190 C for 1 hour.

10 minutes before the end of time start preparing the yoghurt sauce. Mix in a bowl all the necessary ingredients. Spread the mixture on top of the baking pan and bake for 10 more minutes. Serve hot.


~ * ~ Easter Lamb on the Spit ~ * ~


To serve 6-8 persons, you need a lamb that weights about 5 Kilos.

On Easter Sunday Morning as is tradition across Kalymnos, the fire is started at about 7.00 am to ensure that the wood is reduced to glowing embers by the time the roasting starts. The lamb or goat, having been properly cleaned, is rubbed with lemon all over his skin and seasoned with salt, pepper, oregano and thyme both outside and inside.

Then the souvlaki, the long round iron stick, having also been properly cleaned and rubbed with lemon, is passed through the animal from one end and out through the head. The back feet are secured by passing one through the muscle of the other and are then tied with wire. It is also recommended to tie with wire the spine of the lamb on the spit.

Two iron poles with forked ends are inserted in the earth by the fire. At the beginning of the roasting session the lamb is at about 60-70 cm from the fire. Later the poles are lowered so the meat rests at a distance of 30-40 cm from the fire.

The long iron spit ends in a handle and members of the family take it in turns to sit and turn it almost continually (Now there are machines doing that for us!). While the meat is cooking they brush on a mixture of olive oil, lemon juice and oregano.

A lamb roasted like this takes about 4 hours or less, presuming that it is of the desirable weight of 5 kgr maximum. It is vital that the lamb cooks very slowly, even if it takes longer than three hours. A clear indication that it is nearly cooked is when the flesh shrinks away from the bones.

Please note that the fleshy parts (legs and shoulders) take longer to cook, so they draw most of the glowing embers to the two ends, making two small piles of them under the fleshy parts which gives those parts the extra heat they require, while the thin body is cooking at a slower speed.

Serve with a lot of fresh salad, sea salt and freshly ground black or green peppercorns to taste, taramosalata, melitzanosalata and Scarlet Easter Eggs.


Lamb stew in clay pots

Ingredients:
1 kg of lamb (chops/neck, whatever)
3 sliced onions
1 litre/1 quart of tomato puree' or tomato paste for cooking
Some olive oil
1kg/2lb of 'rice' pasta available in Italian or Greek delicatessens (called Krithara'ki)
Salt, pepper and oregano seasoning


In a clay pot (or heavy cast iron pot), put the oil and let heat in an oven at high setting. Add the sliced onions and brown. Sprinkle the lamb with salt and pepper and place in the pot to brown the sides. When the lamb starts cooking, place the tomato over it and add the same amount of water.

Let it heat for about 1 hour until the lamb feels soft and much of the water has evaporated (add water if needed). Remove from the oven, and put the 1 kg of 'rice' pasta. When the pasta is cooked (another 10 minutes), remove and serve hot.



Lamb with green beans, by "Pirate Jack" .. haha, I used to ride\pillion on his awesome Harley. Smashing guy, much fun and always courteous. Great in a fight, too. My kind of pal.


1 kg lamb
1 kg green beans, wash and with their string removed (use frozen ones if you want to avoid the cleaning procedure)
5 spoons olive oil
1/2 kg finely chopped onions
parsley, finely chopped
150 ml vegetable stock
Salt
Pepper


Cut the meat in servings. Heat oil in a saucepan and sauté the meat with the onions. Add salt, pepper and vegetable stock and simmer for 1.5 hours. Then add the green beans, the parsley and some more salt and simmer until the green beans are tender. During the whole cooking procedure you might need to add some extra water.



Herbed Bread Crumbs for coating legs of lamb
Makes about 1 cup


1 cup Fresh bread crumbs
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon dried Greek oregano
Juice of 1 lemon
cup extra virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper


Combine the bread crumbs, garlic, and oregano in a small mixing bowl. Squeeze the lemon juice over the mixture, tossing to blend. Drizzle with the olive oil and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. The crumbs should stick together when pinched; if not, add a bit more olive oil.



ROASTED LEG OF LAMB WITH MARINATED TOMATOES


This is a special festive dish that may be used for birthdays but we make it for Easter for a big family lunch.

First, the Marinated Tomatoes

Ingredients:
2 beefsteak tomatoes, peeled
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
teaspoon dried Greek oregano
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Makes about 2 cups


Cut the tomatoes into quarters. Using a small sharp knife, carefully remove and discard the core, pulp, and seeds. Cut the tomatoes into small dice and place in a small mixing bowl. Add the garlic, parsley, and oregano, tossing to blend. Drizzle with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside to marinate at room temperature for at least 1 hour before using.


Roasted Leg of Lamb ingredients:
One 7 to 8 pound leg of lamb, main bone removed, shank bone intact. Get your local butcher to prepare your leg of lamb this way.

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 garlic clove, quartered
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoons dried Greek oregano
cup dry white wine
2 cups chicken stock
Marinated tomatoes
Herbed bread crumbs


1. Lay the lamb out flat on a clean work surface. Season the top with salt and pepper. Starting at a narrow end, roll the lamb up, cigar-fashion. Using kitchen string, tie the meat in places so that it will hold its shape and cook evenly.


2. Make 4 small slits in the lamb. Insert a garlic sliver into each slit. Lightly coat the lamb with olive oil. Never use vegetable oil. Only use olive oil as it imparts a wonderful flavour. Now sprinkle the oregano over the lamb and again season with salt and pepper. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to 12 hours.

3. When ready to roast, preheat the oven to 450F.

4. Remove the lamb from the refrigerator, unwrap, and place it in a large roasting pan. Place in the preheated oven and roast for 25
minutes.

5. Remove the lamb from the oven and pour the wine into the pan. Add the stock, reduce the oven temperature to 400F and return the pan to the oven. Roast, basting frequently with the pan juices, for 40 to 50 minutes. If the pan juices dry up, add stock or water as needed.


6. Remove the lamb from the oven. Spoon a thin layer of Marinated tomatoes over the lamb, pressing down slightly to make them adhere. Return the lamb to the oven and roast, basting every 5 minutes, for 10 minutes. Sprinkle on the Herbed Bread Crumbs (see my recipe below), lightly pressing to make them adhere. Roast for 5 minutes longer.


7. Remove the lamb from the oven and allow it to rest for 15 minutes before cutting the strings and slicing for serving.

More to come

LAMB CHOPS DONE THE GREEK WAY BY DR JOHN KOULLIAS

These lamb chops are loaded up with great flavour. Marinate them longer for tenderness and grill them hot and fast.

Ingredients:
4 lamb chops
½ cup olive oil
½ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup fresh mint, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Combine olive oil, vinegar, mint, and garlic in a small bowl. Mix well. Pour into a re-sealable bag and add lamb chops. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Preheat grill. Remove lamb chops from marinade and season with salt and pepper. Place on hot grill and cook for about 5 to 6 minutes per side or until done.


GREEK LAMB MARINADE


Plan on marinating chops and small cuts for about 4 to 5 hours. Large cuts like leg of lamb or whole carcass should be marinated overnight.

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
¼ cup olive oil. Don't use vegetable oil it adds to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon dried thyme, or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh
½ teaspoon dried oregano, or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh
½ teaspoon bay leaf, or three fresh ones
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and mix well, and marinate as above.



PEPPERED LAMB CHOPS

These chops are almost a delicacy, when lamb is young, tender and sweet; luscious in your mouth and then you pick up the next peppered lamb chop. . .in this special recipe by my late mother, the flavour is in the herbs, and it has a low salt intake.

Ingredients:
12-16 lamb chops, of even thickness and neatly trimmed
1 tablespoon freshly ground mixed peppercorns
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
1 tablespoon fresh marjoram or oregano
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
250 ml olive oil


Wash and pat dry the lamb chops and put them in a plastic or porcelain dish with a lid. Put all the seasonings in a blender and chop together or crush with a pestle and mortar. Mix into the oil and pour over the lamb chops. Cover and marinate in the fridge for 2-3 hours. Grill or BBQ until cooked to your liking and season with salt to taste if necessary. Serve immediately.


Lamb Fricasée

Lamb fricasée is Greek lamb stew at its best. In winter it is deeply comforting. We recommend it sevred with mashed potatoes and Fasiloa Gigantes - Greek giant beans and green dwarf beans. The meal will serve 4.

Ingredients:
125ml olive oil
2.2 lb /1kg lamb on the bone (ie neck, best end, shoulder or leg, cut through bone)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
1 bunch dill, finely chopped
1 Cos lettuce, cut into thin strips
125ml milk
1 teaspoon flour
1 egg, beaten
1 lemon, juiced
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped


Heat the oil in a casserole and fry the meat gently for 10 minutes without browning. Add the onion, seasoning, dill and lettuce, cover with water, bring to a simmer and cook gently for an hour to an hour and a half, until the meat is tender. Take the pot off the heat. In a bowl, whisk the milk and flour until smooth, then mix in the egg
and lemon juice. Add this mixture to the casserole, and heat gently to thicken the sauce. Scatter over the parsley and serve.


Chicken Souvlaki (version 1)


Ingredients:
1-2 pounds chicken breast, or for best taste which is thigh and leg meat
one-third of a cup of olive oil
one-third of a cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ cup red wine vinegar
½ onion, grated
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon oregano
2 dried red chillies
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
Metal or wooden skewers
Pita or flatbread


Pound the chicken with a mallet to tenderize and give them an even thickness. Trim away visible fat and tendons. Cut the chicken into strips crosswise about an inch wide. Whisk the rest of the ingredients together. Marinate in a large Ziploc bag or bowl in the refrigerator a couple of hours before cooking or the morning of. If using wooden skewers soak in water for a half hour or so before grilling. Skewer each piece twice lengthwise. Grill on all sides until cooked through. Serve on warm pita with tzatziki sauce and dressing.


Tzatziki Sauce

Ingredients:
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced small
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 teaspoons lemon juice, fresh squeezed
1 tablespoon fresh dill
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste


Drain your Greek yogurt in a strainer lined with cheesecloth or a paper towel for a few hours before or overnight. Combine all the ingredients together. Cover and refrigerate for an hour or two before serving.


Grilled Swordfish




Ingredients:
4 pieces of sword fish
8 tomatoes
3 tsp oregano
4 cloves garlic chopped fine
fresh basil and parsley
juice of a lemon
2 onions
olive oil
salt and pepper
breadcrumbs


Sprinkle olive oil on the pieces of sword fish and leave till you prepare the sauce. Heat some olive oil and add chopped basil and parsley and finely chopped onions. Season with salt and pepper. Mix breadcrumbs, oregano, lemon juice and chopped garlic. Cook in an oven for about 10 minutes. Cook the sword fish on a hot griddle till golden brown. Pour herb sauce over the grilled fish pieces.


Biftekia with Feta and Herb Stuffing


The sublime version of the cheeseburger, but wholesomely Greek.

Ingredients:
800 grams/1¾ lbs / 28 ounces lean minced beef
1 onion, grated
15 ml medium hot mustard
2 eggs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
15 ml sweet paprika powder
15 ml dried marjoram or oregano
a few breadcrumbs to bind.

Stuffing:
200 grams/½ lb/ 8 oz feta cheese
1 small bunch flat leaf parsley
1 small bunch spring onions
2 cloves of garlic

Yoghurt to serve.


Mix together all the hamburger ingredients and form into 8 patties. Cut the feta into small dice. Finely chop the herbs and crush the garlic. Put a third of the chopped herbs and garlic with the cheese and mix the rest with the yoghurt. Set the yoghurt aside. Put the feta and herb mixture in the centre of each of four patties and put the remaining four on top. Press together firmly around the edges to seal. Grill or barbecue the hamburgers until cooked through and serve with the herb yoghurt.


Delicious Marinated Olives


Blogspot illustration of how mine look (only without the black olives)*


Greeks adore our olives which is why we prefer to have them included at our table, rather than included with meals. Dressing olives really brings out their best flavour when marinating them for at least 24 hours, but 3-4 hours will do, if you are in a hurry. This recipe is restaurant quality - delicious. Traditionally, olive stones are left in
but you may used stoned, but they don't taste anywhere as good. Do NOT use black olives. There is no such thing as black - always green. Black olives are harshly treated with a chemical to turn them black. All my Greek olives are green. *

Ingredients:
2 cups extra virgin olive oil
1 cup red wine vinegar
15 bay leaves
2 cloves of garlic, thinly chopped
2 wide strips of orange rind
half tsp finely chopped red chilli
12 sun dried tomatoes, finely sliced
a few whole peppercorns
8 cups of green olives
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme



Combine oil, vinegar, bay leaves and garlic in a small saucepan and place over low heat until just warm. Remove from heat, then combine with the rest of the ingredes and marinade overnight. Mummy said the marinated olives should be kept in a container with extra-virgin olive oil covering them. Best eaten within one week.

More to come

@Musicaddicted

Here are some more of which Spoonsweets will try your patience not to eat them until their lengthly process is finished. But it will be worth it. Have you ever enjoyed eating a sweet tomato?

Here we go, then. The rest of the best.

SPOONSWEETS


Borrowed image



This recipe is traditional of Kalymnos, though every woman has her own version. Think of sweet tomatoes as similar to glace fruit; except the tomatoes are immersed in a jar of fine syrup resulting from the recipe. The name, spoon sweets or glyko tou koutaliou in Greek, comes from the traditional way of serving these preserves: a spoonful in a glass bowl or saucer, always accompanied by a glass of fresh, iced water and, in many cases, a cup of coffee. Or, spoon some on top of Greek plain
yoghurt. This is especially yummy. You won't believe how delicious til you try them!

A favourite for kids and adults alike, the spoon preserve, that used to be prepared by every mother and grandmother during spring and summer to keep all year round, has survived wars, expatriations, hard political times and the invasion of western foods and sweet treats.

One of the most unique spoon sweets is the tomato preserve. Made with elongated plum tomatoes, sugar, lemon juice and a couple more ingredients, it is sure to make you want to have it more than once. Beware, should you decide to follow the recipe and prepare this exquisite treat, that it takes a lot of patience to make it as it won't
be ready to eat until the day after the next day!

My sweet tomatoes came from Mummy's hand written recipe book, which I translated. The recipe was handed down from her mother and goodness knows who before her.

Ingredients:
3 lbs of plum (elongated) tomatoes
3 lbs sugar (plus some extra sugar to sprinkle on the tomatoes)
2 teaspoons lemon juice
almonds (optional)
a teaspoon of real bourbon vanilla
whole cloves

Choose small plum tomatoes without many seeds. Bring a pan of water to a boil and drop the plum tomatoes in for a minute or two. Drain and peel them.

Place the tomatoes on a plate or tray in a single layer and sprinkle a good amount of sugar on them.

Leave for 24 hours. Keep the water that was left in the pan.

Next day, use the water that was left in the pan to sprinkle on top of the sugar (3 lbs).

Add one more cup of water and boil in a pan for 15 minutes until a thick syrup is formed. Put a peeled almond inside every tomato, stud the top of the tomato with one clove only and then drop the tomatoes into the syrup to boil for 2-3 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and leave the cooked tomatoes to stand in the syrup overnight. Next day, stir in the lemon juice and boil gently until the spoon sweet starts to set. Stir in the vanilla and let the preserve cool.

For best results, pack the preserve into sterilized jars. It will last longer. Store in a cool, dry place.


Kalymnian Hot Sauce

Borrowed photograph(s)



You're going to be needing a good 100 grams of chillies and not less. The sauce's heat vastly depends on what type. I recommend red Jalapenos, popular at home, but BE CAREFUL with Habanero and Scotch Bonnets. Habanero are viciously hot! Even I wouldn't touch them and I like hot food, hot sauce - hot anything. I suggest you start your first batch with smaller chilli pepper quantities to familiarize yourself with the heat level of your chilli peppers. When handling chillies always use gloves. A good red chilli in the UK is called Bird Eye, or Apache chillies.

Ingredients:
1 cup Thai red chilli peppers (about 100 grams).
4-5 medium-sized cloves of garlic, crushed or minced
2 med shallots, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 x 8 oz cans (or 1 x 15 oz can) of tomato sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce - don’t skimp out on this - or use soy sauce (for vegetarians).
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar


1. Remove stems of chilli peppers, rinse clean. Blot dry with paper towel. Wearing rubber gloves, mince the chilli peppers. The smaller the cut, the smoother your final sauce will be.

2. In sauce pan, heat oil then add minced garlic and shallots. Over medium-high heat sauté for a about 1 minute or until light brown and fragrant. (Don’t burn your garlic!)

3. Add tomato sauce and minced chilli peppers. Let sauce come to a simmer then lower heat to keep at a low simmer. Add fish sauce, vinegar, and sugar. Mix well.

4. Continue simmering sauce for about 5 minutes. This will break down the chilli peppers and soften them to create the smooth consistency.

5. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.

6. Transfer sauce to blender and blend till smooth or until most of the chilli pepper skin and seeds break down- preferably on the “liquefy” mode.

7. Taste the hot sauce. Further customize the hot sauce to your liking: add more sugar, vinegar or water. Blend one last time till smooth. Pour into sterilized airtight jar and refrigerate. Use within about a week.





Home smoking recipes from Kalymnos

The magical combination of salt and smoke is one of the oldest ways of imparting flavour and preserving precious protein. I understand many think it's tricky, requiring special equipment and fancy skills. It's not.

First, it's important to know the difference between hot and cold smoking. Cold smoking is a gentle drying process at around 77 /25C, which imparts a smoky flavour but doesn't "cook" food through. Hot smoking is usually more a way of cooking than of preserving, a sort of light roasting at around 176F / 80C to 250F / 120C, and it's this I'm
focusing on, hoping you'll catch the bug of that smoky fug and be keen to try slightly more complicated cold smoking later.

Let's start with salting, as indeed you'll need to do, because it draws water from the flesh and makes the smoked flavour more profound. When possible, use flaky or coarse salt because it's less harsh and it's easier to wash off. But it's expensive, so ordinary table salt is fine, too; it just works slightly quicker. Scatter a good, even layer of salt on a large, non-metallic plate or tray, then place the meat or fish on top and scatter on a further layer of salt. Leave for between five and 50 minutes, depending on the size – specifically, the thickness – of what you want to smoke. For example, we salt the small mackerel fillets in this recipe for five to 10 minutes, but a large, 1lb / 500g meaty fish fillet would probably need around 40. Then give the meat or fish a quick, thorough rinse under the cold tap, pat dry with kitchen paper and you're ready to go.

For years, Mummy used an old bread bin for hot smoking, but now that's given up the ghost, a large, lidded saucepan fits the bill nicely. Into
it, I've fitted a metal cooling rack – all she did was cut through the edges of the rack with a hacksaw so it fits into the pan about 4 inches /10cm above the bottom.

Next, you need to add sawdust, enough to form a nice, thick layer on the bottom of the pan. Different woods give different flavours. I like oak with red meat or trout; alder matches well with fish, too. But experiment – beech, bay, cherry, apple and hornbeam all have their own characters. But don't use sycamore or any soft wood (ie, conifers). If you don't have a good, untreated source of non-resinous wood, try mail order from some online culinary company. Maple and Mesquite is lovely, too.

Next, if you have a very sensitive smoke alarm (and you do, don't you?), you need to open as many windows and doors as you can, to give yourself as much ventilation as possible. Then put the pan, with the lid on, on the stove over a high heat. When it starts smouldering, turn it down to low and put the meat, poultry or fish on the rack, whack on the lid and cook until you get the result you like. Couldn't be much simpler, really. And, as an added bonus, if there's fine weather this weekend, you can rig up your smoker outside on the barbecue or even over a campfire. Talk about portable pleasures!

Home-smoked ribeye steak salad

It's only meat and potatoes – but the smoking adds a whole different dimension. Serves four.

Ingredients:
about 3 oz /100g light muscovado (brown Demerara cane sugar) sugar
about 3 oz /100g fine sea salt
2 sprigs thyme, plus a few more leaves to garnish
6 juniper berries, crushed
1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
2 ribeye steaks, about 8oz / 250g each
a little olive oil, for frying
about 10oz / 300g new potatoes
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons olive or rapeseed oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 big handful watercress

Mix together the first five ingredients to make your cure. Spread a thin layer of this on a tray, put the steaks on it and scatter the rest of the cure over the top. Leave for 10 minutes.

Rinse the steaks briefly under a cold, running tap and pat dry on kitchen paper or a clean tea towel. Season with pepper, and scatter on some thyme leaves.

Prepare the smoker as directed in the introduction using a couple of handfuls of oak sawdust. Smoke the steaks for five minutes.

Next, warm a tiny amount of oil in a frying pan until hot, and fry the steaks for about two minutes a side for rare (they should feel soft when pressed with your thumb), or three for medium-rare (they should feel springy). Rest on a warm plate for five minutes.

While the steaks are cooking, boil the new potatoes until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain. Whisk together the vinegar and mustard, then trickle in the oil, whisking as you go. Season and use the vinaigrette to dress the still-warm potatoes (halve any larger ones). Slice the rested steak into strips and tumble together with the potatoes and watercress. Serve immediately.


* * * * *

Hot smoked mackerel sandwich

This sandwich apart, there are no end of uses for smoked mackerel – try it in pâtés, salads and savoury tarts, too. Serves two.

Ingredients:
about 3 oz / 100g fine sea salt
4 mackerel fillets
coarsely ground or cracked black pepper
good brown wholemeal bread, thinly sliced
a little butter, for spreading
a squeeze of lemon juice

Scatter half the salt on a plate or tray. Place the mackerel on top. Scatter on the rest of the salt and leave for five minutes. Wash quickly and pat dry. Season well with cracked black pepper and smoke for five to 10 minutes, until the flesh is opaque and flakes when pressed with a knife. Butter four slices of bread and sandwich together with the warm mackerel, squeezing a little lemon juice over the top if you like.

* * * * *

Hot smoked duck breast with pak choi


This recipe also works well with pigeon, partridge and venison. Serves two.


about 5oz /150g soft brown sugar
about 5 oz /150g fine sea salt
1 cinnamon stick, crushed
2 star anise, crushed
2 teaspoons mixed peppercorns, crushed
4 dried bay leaves, crushed
2 duck breasts
4 pak choi
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons chilli dipping sauce
1 tsp sesame oil

Combine the first six ingredients. Cover the bottom of a tray with half the mixture, lay the breasts skin-side down on top and cover with the rest of the cure. Leave for 30 minutes while you prepare the smoker.

Rinse the breasts and pat dry. Put them in the smoker, over a low flame, for 20 minutes. They should be golden brown on the outside and mouth-wateringly pink in the middle. Leave to rest while you steam the pak choi until tender, about four minutes. Whisk together the soy, chilli sauce and sesame oil. Divide the pak choi between two plates, trickle over the dressing and serve with the sliced duck breasts on top.


Rhoda Koullias' Stuffed Tomatoes

The tomatoes would come out of Mummy's garden and would be termed "beef" because home grown beef tomatoes are the largest, delicious and most fragrant you can ever have, or ask for. There's a saying, "If you can't smell 'em, then you can't taste 'em." This is so true of shop bought tomatoes. In Pothia the 'beefs' cos no more than 80 cents a kilo. Awesome.

This recipe is 12 stuffed tomatoes for 6 people, though we are such a hungry lot we'll happily eat 4 in one sitting, no problem!

Ingredients:
12 firm, ripe beef tomatoes
salt, pinch granulated sugar
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large red onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed to release the aromas, then chopped finely
1/4 c chopped fresh parsley
1/2 lb lean lamb or veal, ground
1/4 c white wine, dry
1/4 c spring water, because our tap water is undrinkable
6 tablespoons long-grain rice
freshly ground pepper
2 sprigs fresh mint, or green basil
1 level teaspoon of grated nutmeg


You must always wash the tomatoes, then turn each stem-side down, and with a sharp knife carefully cut the end now up to make an opening or "cap" being careful not to detach the cap entirely.

With a small spoon, carefully, without breaking the outer skin of the tomatoes, scoop the pulp into a bowl. Place the tomato shells in a baking-serving dish large enough to support them touching. Sprinkle the inside of the shells with salt and sugar. Meanwhile, prepare the stuffing.

Heat the oil in a heavy skillet and add the onions. Cook over moderate heat until soft and transparent, then add the garlic and parsley, and blend.

Add the meat, mashing with a fork, then add the wine and water, cover, and simmer for a few minutes.

Add the rice and tomato pulp and stir. (Tomato juice may be added if necessary, since the mixture should provide enough liquid for the rice to absorb.)

Cover the skillet and simmer about 7 minutes, then add salt, pepper, mint or basil, and nutmeg. Taste for seasoning.

Remove from heat, and fill the tomatoes up about two-thirds of the way with the stuffing and liquid. Cover with tomato caps, brush with oil.

Bake in a moderate oven (350 F) until the rice is tender (approximately 50 minutes to 1 hour), basting inside the tomatoes with liquid released by them. Serve warm.


Note: For Tomatoes stuffed with rice, use 1 1/4 cups raw long-grain white rice instead of the meat and rice in the above recipe and, eliminate the wine. Include with the other seasonings a few tablespoons each of black raisins and 2 tablespoons pine nuts, if you like, as pine nuts lent a nice texture and taste. Rice in baked stuffed dishes takes much longer to cook then over a burner.

Stuffed green peppers, also popular are green peppers that can be made in the same way.

Good munchings!

Just before the storm: a magic view of Telendos from Myrties, Kalymnos