A Greek Feast
Originally published the
week of April 13, 1998
All content copyright by World Wide Recipes.
Our "Greek Feast" week begins with these savory
meatballs. Try them as an alternative to the old standby
Swedish meatballs next time you have a crowd to
please.
Keftedakia
(Mint and Ouzo Flavored Meatballs)
2 slices home-made style bread, trimmed of crust and
torn into small pieces
1/4 cup (60 ml) ouzo (or
substitute another anise flavored liqueur)
6 Tbs (90
ml) olive oil
1/2 cup (125 ml) finely chopped
onions
1 lb (450 g) lean ground beef
1 egg
1
Tbs (15 ml) finely chopped fresh mint leaves, or 1 tsp
(5 ml) dried mint leaves
1 clove garlic, finely
chopped
1/2 tsp (2 ml) dried oregano
Salt and
freshly ground pepper to taste
1 cup all-purpose
flour
Soak the bread in the ouzo for at least 5 minutes.
Heat half the olive oil in a skillet over moderate
heat, add the onions, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring
frequently, until they are soft but not brown. Remove
the onions with a slotted spoon, placing them in a large
mixing bowl. Squeeze the bread dry (discard the ouzo)
and add the bread to the onions. Add the ground beef,
egg, mint, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, and knead
vigorously with your hands, then beat with a wooden
spoon until the mixture is smooth and fluffy. Shape the
beef mixture into balls about the size of walnuts (you
may find that wetting your hands with water helps
prevent sticking) and then roll the meatballs in the
flour to coat evenly. Place the meatballs on a cookie
sheet and refrigerate for at least one hour.
Add the remaining olive oil to a large skillet and
brown the meatballs, 7 or 8 at a time, over high heat,
cooking 8 to 10 minutes and shaking the pan from time to
time. As each batch is done, remove them with a slotted
spoon and place on an ovenproof serving platter. Keep
them warm in a 200F (100C) oven while you finish cooking
the rest. Serves 4 to 6 as an appetizer or first course
(about 30 meatballs).
Our Greek week continues with this wonderful excuse
to eat chick peas, also known as garbanzos. This recipe
assumes dried garbanzos. If you us canned make sure that
you rinse them well and remove the skins, as
described.
Chick Pea
Soup
4 cups (1 L) dried chick peas (garbanzos) or 4-15 oz
(425 g) cans, rinsed and drained
Water or chicken
stock (about 4 cups, 1 L)
2 Tbs (30 ml) baking
soda
2-3 onions, chopped
1 cup (250 ml) olive
oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Lemon
slices for garnish
Soak the beans overnight in warm water. Strain and
dust with baking soda. Let stand for 15 minutes. Rinse
with hot water and rub a few at a time between your
fingers to remove the skins (discard the skins). Place
in strainer and rinse thoroughly for several minutes.
Put into a large pot along with enough water or chicken
stock to cover and bring to a boil, skimming off the
foam as it rises. Add the onions, oil, salt and pepper
and simmer covered until the beans split; about 90
minutes to 2 hours. Serve hot with lemon slices. Serves
6 to 8.
Greek week continues with this simple yet elegant
rice dish. These tomatoes are so good you'll find
yourself making them to add to salads, eat on toast, and
otherwise sneak onto a menu one way or another.
Rice Pilaf with
Glazed Tomatoes
2 cups (500 ml) raw rice
4 cups (1 L) chicken
broth or water
1/2 lb (225 g) cherry tomatoes, washed
and stems removed
1/4 lb (100 g) plus 1 Tbs (15 ml)
butter or margarine
1/2 cup (125 ml) sugar
Butter a baking dish with 1 tablespoon (15 ml)
butter and put the tomatoes in it. Melt the remaining
butter and pour it over the tomatoes. Sprinkle with the
sugar and bake in a 350F (180C) oven for 20 to 25
minutes. Meanwhile, bring the broth or water to a boil
over high heat. Add the rice and stir. Cover, reduce
heat to low, and simmer 15 minutes or until the rice is
done. Do not stir or even open the pot during these 15
minutes. Pack rice into a ring mold and turn out of the
mold onto a platter. Fill the center with the baked
tomatoes and pour the sauce from the tomatoes over the
rice. Serves 4 to 6.
This is honest-to-goodness one of my favorite dishes,
and a perfect centerpiece for our Greek menu. Most
people think of moussaka, dolmathes, spanakopita and the
like when they think of classic Greek dishes. After
trying this, you will wonder why it isn't at the top of
everyone's list of Greek taste treats. Please, if you
only cook one of this week's recipes, make it this
one.
Pork and Celery
Avgolemono
4 1/2 to 5 lbs. (2 Kg) celery with leaves cut into
1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces
3 lbs (1.5 Kg) pork cut into
1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes
1/2 cup (125 ml) butter
3
medium onions, chopped
2 lemons, juice only
2
eggs
1 Tbs (15 ml) cornstarch (cornflour)
Salt and
freshly ground pepper to taste
Season the pork with salt and pepper. Melt the butter
in a large pot and brown the pork lightly over high
heat, stirring frequently. Add the onions and cook 10 to
15 minutes until soft but not browned. Add enough water
to barely cover the meat. Cover and cook over low heat
for about 1 hour. Add the celery and cook another 30
minutes, until the celery is tender and only about 1 cup
of liquid remains
Beat the eggs in a bowl. Mix the cornstarch
(cornflour) in 1/4 cup (60 ml) water and add to the
eggs. Add the lemon juice and beat the mixture well.
Temper the sauce by slowly adding some of the hot liquid
from the meat to the egg-lemon mixture, beating it in
thoroughly. Pour the egg-lemon mixture over the meat and
shake the pan gently over low heat until the sauce
thickens. DO NOT BOIL. Serve immediately. Serves 6 to
8.
A Greek menu just wouldn't be complete without
baklava. This classic pastry is easier to make than you
might think, provided you can buy phyllo in your area.
It is widely available in the US, usually sold frozen in
most supermarkets. Elsewhere you may have to seek out a
Greek or Middle Eastern specialty shop. Even if you have
to go to some lengths to find it, you will agree it was
worth the trouble after you take your first bite of this
delight.
Walnut
Baklava
4 cups (1 L) chopped walnuts
1/2 cup (125 ml)
sugar
1 Tbs (15 ml) ground cinnamon
1 1/4 cups
(300 ml) melted butter
1 1/2 lbs (700 g) phyllo
The syrup:
4 cups (1 L) sugar
3 cups (750 ml)
water
1 1/2 cups (325 ml) honey
1 cinnamon
stick
5 to 6 whole cloves
Mix together the walnuts, sugar and cinnamon. Select
a pan the size of the phyllo sheets and brush well with
melted butter. Use 4 sheets of phyllo for the bottom
layer, brushing each one with butter before adding the
next, and top with a sheet of unbuttered phyllo.
Sprinkle with a handful of the walnut mixture. Cover
with a buttered sheet, an unbuttered sheet, and another
sprinkling of walnuts. Repeat until the ingredients are
used up, reserving 5 sheet of phyllo for the top layer.
Brush each of the top 5 sheets with ample butter, and
pour the remaining butter over the top of the last
sheet. Trim the edges if necessary, and cut the baklava
into the traditional diamond pattern. Do not cut through
the bottom layer. Sprinkle the top of the baklava
lightly with water from your fingertips. Bake in a
pre-heated 250F (120C) for about 1 hour. Remove from
oven and cool.
For the syrup, combine the sugar and water in a large
pot and boil for 5 minutes. Add the honey, cinnamon
stick and cloves, and boil for 5 minutes more. Pour the
hot syrup over the cooled baklava. Do not pour over a
hot baklava, it will turn soggy. Cool then cut through
the bottom layer of phyllo following the previous
cuts.
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