Main Courses Recipes
One of the classics of Greek meat cookery is a one-pot stew called Kokinisto, which means red, for the tomato that goes into it. This is a variation of that recipe, enriched with a complex nexus of herbs and spices that give the dish a rich, multi-faceted flavor.
One of the absolute classics of Greek summer, but also delicious year-round, green beans yiahni are an easy, luscious casserole of fresh beans slowly cooked in olive oil, with tomatoes, onions, potatoes and herbs. All you need is a chunk of feta and a bit of good bread to complete this wonderful vegetarian main course.
The whole spirit of the Aegean is in this dish. I like to use fennel, which grows wild all over the Aegean, to perfume my fish. Grape leaves add a beautiful astringency and make for a gorgeous presentation. Easy elegance with the pared down essential nature of the Aegean! I can feel the salty sea […]
Sofrito is one of the most traditional dishes from Corfu. Its name, from the Italian fritto, for fried, is characteristic of many of the local recipes on Corfu and elsewhere in the Ionian, where the Venetians ruled for centuries and left an indelible stamp on the cuisine. This is a wonderful festive dish, perfect for […]
Perhaps no other combination of meat and vegetable best represents the cooking of northern Greece more than the duet of leeks and pork, which appears in pies, sausages, ground meat dishes, and main courses alike. Here is a classic meze called tigania, because it’s typically made in a tigani, or skillet. The dish can easily […]
One of the great strengths of Greek island cooking is its wealth of unusual vegetable dishes. Even banal winter vegetables such as cauliflower and potatoes are turned into tasty meals with the help of great olive oil and local tomatoes. To find some of the artisinal Greek products you’ll need to make this, visit my […]
Duck, papia in Greek, is a special treat usually reserved for holidays or hunters. This simple Xinomavro Duck recipe marries one of the world’s richest meats with a tannic Greek red wine, Xinomavro, typically from Naoussa and other areas in Northern Greece. The wine is a beautiful counterbalance to the richness of the duck. I’d […]
This wonderful eggplant dish is the regional version of a classic. This rendition comes from Lesvos. It’s one of the heartiest and most filling vegetarian dishes in the whole Greek repertoire. To find some of the artisinal Greek products you’ll need to make this, visit my online shop here, where you’ll discover a host of […]
Chickpeas are a national dish in several Cyclades islands, most significantly, though, in Sifnos. This soup, prepared in unique tapered clay pots that narrow at the mouth, called xespastaria in the local dialect, is the de rigeur Sunday meal. Every family has its own such pot and brings it on Saturday night to the local […]
These lovely little open-faced tomato and onion pies, called ladenia, are almost like pizza and make for what is arguably the best-known dish on Milos. They are typically made and sold by local bread bakers. Served with a fresh greens salad they make a great light lunch or buffet dish. To find some of the […]