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Get dipping with this Greek island delight
Forget the supermarkets' nasty pink stuff, taramaslata tastes so much better when you make it yourself, says Clare Latimer.
I was taken to the Greek island of Skiathos one year by friends who had a house out there and I thought the island stunning and the clarity of the water quite something.
My host was a superb cook and found great ingredients and we ate like royalty. The following recipes are some of my favourites and also go very well in my shop. I would not go so far as to open a bottle of Retsina to eat with the following but may sneak off to get a crisp New Zealand Sauvignon and hide it in the fridge until ready to drink.
Taramasalata
We are catering a large party in a marquee in Hampstead this week and the starter is going to be this dish along with humus, tomato and fresh herb dip and taboulleh served with pitta bread.
It is a good change from the obvious starters and home made taramasalata is so rarely served now. We all know the nasty bright pink supermarket type tubs but when it is homemade the flavour is totally unrecognisable to the ‘pink fluffy stuff’.
You can use mashed potato instead of the bread if you wish and then taste carefully when adding the lemon juice and garlic to see how you like it. Use a good olive oil is it makes all the difference.
Serves 4
Ingredients
175g of sliced white bread, crusts removed;
5fl.oz of milk;
75g of smoked cod’s roe;
Four tablespoons of olive oil;
One small onion, peeled and grated;
Juice of two lemons;
Two cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped;
A sprig of parsley;
Pitta bread to serve.
Method
Crumble the bread into a bowl; add the milk and leave to soak for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, remove the skin from the roes.
Place the roe and soaked bread mixture into a food processor or blender and whiz for a few seconds.
Add the lemon juice, onions, garlic and parsley to the blender and continue to whiz but do not over-blend, as the mixture should be firm.
Transfer to a serving bowl, cover and leave for a few hours to allow the flavours to mingle. Serve with warm pitta bread.
Spanakopita
Filo pastry is a wonderful invention and so easy to use. I suppose this is the Greek’s version of quiche Lorraine and a great deal easier to make so have a go.
Serves two to four as starter or main course.
Ingredients
500g of young spinach, washed and cut into thin strips;
One tablespoon of chopped parsley;
One small bunch of spring onions, chopped;
225g of finely chopped onion;
120g of feta cheese, crumbled;
Salt and freshly ground black pepper;
Olive oil, for frying the onions and brushing the filo;
Six thin filo pastry sheets.
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C, 250F,gas 4.
For the filling, in a large bowl, combine the spinach, parsley and spring onions.
In a pan, gently fry the onion until golden. Add to the spinach mix.
Now add the feta and mix well. Season.
For the spanakopita, grease a shallow baking dish with oil and line with three of the filo sheets, placing one on top of the other. Brush each sheet separately.
Put the filling over the pastry and spread evenly. Cover with the remaining filo and tuck in the edges roughly.
Brush the top with oil and then bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and leave to cool slightly.
Cut and serve with a tomato and cucumber salad. |
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