Summertime means that Greek food should be tried on a regular basis. This version of garlic sauce is basically (very) garlicky mayonnaise with ground almonds added for body and texture. It makes a good dip, along with the usual suspects, for pitta bread. It is also supposed to work well as an accompaniment for fish and vegetables.
Planning
| serves: |
~ ½ pint
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| preparation time: |
10 mins
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| cooking time: |
n/a
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Ingredients
- Yolks of 2 v. large eggs
- 2 tbs lemon juice
- 1 tbs white wine vinegar
- 5 garlic cloves, crushed
- 8 fl oz olive oil
- Salt & pepper
- 3 ozs ground almonds
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Method
Put everything except the olive oil and ground almonds into a food processor and blend for 30 seconds. With the food processor running, add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream. The sauce will thicken. If it seems too thick, slacken it off with a little water.
Transfer the sauce into a storage container or serving dish and stir in the ground almonds. It tastes quite lemony at this stage but read on. Refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving. The almonds will thicken the sauce/dip a little more and the lemony flavour will soften.
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The first and most important rule of Moussaka is to ignore all recipes that use potato instead of aubergine. The second rule of Moussaka is to serve lots of retsina. I think the atmosphere is enhanced if you play Greek music while you eat it but I understand your disagreeing. With or without the music, please don’t break the plates afterwards! This is basically a recipe from the Marshall Cavendish Handbook of Good Cooking .
Planning
| serves: |
4 |
| preparation time: |
45 mins |
| cooking time: |
1½ hrs |
Ingredients
- 1½ lbs minced lamb
- 1½ lbs aubergines
- 6 oz onions
- 8 ozs tomatoes
- 5 fl oz olive oil
- 1 tsp ground allspice
- 1 tbs chopped fresh parsley
- 15 fl oz béchamel sauce (coating consistency)
- yolk of 1 large egg
- large pinch grated nutmeg
- 3 oz Parmesan cheese, grated
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Method
Wipe, top and tail the aubergines, then cut them into ¼ inch slices. Sprinkle them with salt and place them in a colander to degorge them for 30 mins. Meanwhile, peel and thinly slice the onions; blanch, peel, de-seed and chop the tomatoes. Drain and dry the aubergine slices on kitchen paper.
Heat 3 tbs olive oil in a large frying pan over low heat and fry the aubergine slices gently until tender, turning once. Add extra oil if necessary as you go. Drain the fried slices on kitchen paper.
In the same pan, fry the onions gently in 2 tbs oil until soft and lightly coloured. Add the lamb and fry, stirring until lightly browned. Add the tomatoes, allspice, parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Stir well, cover and cook very gently for about 20 mins.
Heat the oven to gas mark 4. In a deep oven-proof dish, arrange alternate layers of aubergine and meat, finishing with aubergine. Warm the béchamel sauce very gently over low heat, then stir in the egg yolk and nutmeg together with salt and pepper to taste Pour the sauce evenly over the surface of the dish and sprinkle the top with the grated Parmesan. Bake in the centre of the oven for 45 mins until the top is lightly golden and bubbling.
Serve this with Greek Salad and lashings of cold retsina.
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Another of the world’s great salads. Greek salad does not traditionally have any leaves but, I confess, I do like to add some. This is entirely a matter of personal choice, depending upon whether you want more bulk or more traditional.
Planning
| serves: |
4 |
| preparation time: |
30 mins |
| cooking time: |
n/a |
Ingredients
- 6 large tomatoes
- 1 cucumber
- 2 green peppers
- 1 red onion
- salad leaves (optional)
- fetta cheese
- 24 black olives
- a handful fresh oregano leaves
- 4 tbs olive oil
- 1 tbs red wine vinegar
- salt & pepper
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Method
Quarter each tomato, then halve each quarter. I like to peel the cucumber but that’s up to you. Then quarter the cucumber lengthwise and cut it into 1½cm chunks (ish). Core, deseed and halve the pepper, then slice it finely. Peel, halve and finely slice the red onion. Cut the fetta cheese into chunks of about 1cm. If you’re using them, tear the salad leaves into manageable pieces. In a salad bowl, combine all the above and add the black olives and oregano leaves.
In a salad shaker, mix the oil and vinegar with a pinch of salt and few grindings of black pepper. Dress the salad and mix all together immediately prior to serving.
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