Marinated Anchovies
The Greek version of ceviche is a traditional island way to enjoy the extra-fresh tasty and cheap fish. The recipe also works well with sardines. Serve as an appetizer or as meze.
Ingredients
1 ½ lbs fresh anchovies or small sardines
red wine vinegar, as needed
juice of 2-3 lemons
salt
3 tsp. garlic, minced
1 cup wild fennel chopped or 1 fennel bulb, grated finely chopped
fresh or marinated jalapenos
extra virgin olive oil
Place the fish in a non-reactive bowl and sprinkle liberally with vinegar. Let stand 2-3 minutes for anchovies, a bit longer for the sardines. Pinch the head off, not detaching it completely, and move your finger down the belly detaching the backbone, to discard it together with the intestines. Snap the backbone at the tail, and the fish will open as a book. Rinse under cold water, and place each anchovy (or sardine) on thick paper towels, to drain completely. Lay the fish fillets in one layer, open side up, on a deep, non-reactive serving platter, preferably square or rectangular, add salt, splash with some lemon juice, sprinkle with garlic, the fennel, and the hot peppers, if using. Top with another layer of sardines, open side down, add salt, splash with lemon juice, sprinkle with garlic and the fennel, and continue with the rest of the fillets. Pour olive oil over the anchovies or sardines to cover completely, and press the fish, so that the oil penetrates all layers. Cover and refrigerate for 3-5 hours, and up to 6-7 days. The oil with solidify. Let come to room temperature for a few minutes, before serving.
Chicken with olives
Ingredients 3 lbs chicken, cut into portions
4 Tbs olive οίl
2 Tbs butter
2 onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, slivered
1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
1/3 tsp. ground cumin
1/3 tsp. ground ginger
pinch of cayenne pepper
2 cups chicken stock
juice of Ι lemon 1 pickled lemon
salt, pepper
sprigs of coriander or parsley
In saucepan, bring olives to boil. Discard water; add fresh water and bring to boil again. Repeat. Remove stones. Wash and season chicken.
Heat olive oil in a deep frying pan. Sauté onions with garlic. Add spices, stir; add chicken. Brown lightly, then add stock, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
Simmer covered over low heat for one hour. Add water if needed.
Add pickled lemon and olives. Simmer until meat is falls off bone and the sauce has thickened slightly. Serve garnished with coriander or parsley.
Stuffed zucchini blossoms
Ingredients
2 lbs zucchini blossoms
½ lb. small green zucchini
3.5 oz. spring onions
7 oz. feta
5 oz. rice
150 ½ cup olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
parsley
salt and pepper to taste
Wash and clean zucchini, zucchini blossoms, and spring onions. Grate zucchini, chop onions and parsley. Heat half the olive oil in a pan. Sauté onions and zucchini until tender. Stir in rice and cook over low heat. Add lemon juice, parsley, and feta. Stir until combined. Correct seasoning. Cook together for 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Carefully spoon stuffing with rice and zucchini mixture. Arrange blossoms in a wide pan. Add a little water and remaining olive oil. Cover with unwaxed baking paper and top with a plate to keep blossoms and paper in place. Cook over low heat for about 30 minutes.
Fried sun-dried tomatoes
Batter-fried vegetables are a standard part of any Greek meze spread. These fried sun-dried tomatoes from Tinos are really spectacular. Traditionally, fried vegetables are served with skordalia or tzatziki, but they are equally great, accompanied by plain creamy Greek yogurt.
Ingredients
12 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
2/3 cup beer
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
3 Tbs chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 Tbs chopped fennel or dill
1/4 cup grated hard myzithra or kefalotyri (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil for frying
Drain tomatoes on kitchen paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk the beer into the flour to make a thick batter. Stir in the onion, parsley, fennel or dill and cheese, if using. Season with salt (if the tomatoes are not salty) and a few grindings of pepper. In a medium skillet, heat about 1 1/2 inches of oil over medium-high heat to 350°F. Dip each sun-dried tomato into the batter, turning to coat on all sides. In batches, fry, turning once, until golden, about 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels and serve hot.
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