Eat and Drink

Serves: 4 · Time: 20 min prep, 2 hr marinating, 10 min cook

Pork shoulder

600g, cut into 2cm cubes

Olive oil

3 tbsp

Lemon juice

1 lemon

Dried oregano

1 tsp, plus extra to finish

Garlic

2 cloves, crushed

Salt and pepper

to taste

1. Mix the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper in a bowl.
2. Add the pork cubes and turn to coat. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
3. Thread the meat onto metal or soaked wooden skewers.
4. Grill over hot charcoal (or a griddle pan) for 10 to 12 minutes, turning every few minutes, until charred and cooked through.
5. Rest for 2 minutes, then finish with a scattering of oregano and a squeeze of lemon before serving, traditionally wrapped in warm pitta.

Serves: 4 · Time: 15 min prep, 30 min chilling, 10 min cook

Minced lamb or beef

500g

Onion

1 small, grated and squeezed dry

Ground cumin

1 tsp

Sweet paprika

1 tsp

Chilli flakes

a pinch

Salt and pepper

to taste

1. Combine the minced meat, grated onion, cumin, paprika, chilli flakes, salt and pepper in a bowl and knead until sticky and well bound.
2. Cover and chill for 30 minutes so the mixture firms up.
3. Shape into long sausages around flat metal skewers, pressing firmly so they hold together on the grill.
4. Grill over hot charcoal for 8 to 10 minutes, turning regularly, until charred outside and cooked through.
5. Serve off the skewer in warm pitta with tomato, onion and a dusting of sumac or paprika, in the Monastiraki souvlaki street style.

Serves: 4 · Time: 10 min prep, 3 hr bake

Dried chickpeas

400g, soaked overnight

Olive oil

120ml

Onion

1 large, sliced

Bay leaf

1

Lemon

1, to serve

Salt and pepper

to taste

1. Drain the soaked chickpeas and rinse well.
2. Place in a deep ovenproof pot with the onion, bay leaf and olive oil, then cover generously with water.
3. Bring to a simmer on the hob, skimming off any foam.
4. Cover and bake at 150C (fan) for around 3 hours, topping up water if needed, until the chickpeas are completely soft and the liquid has thickened.
5. Season at the end of cooking (salting chickpeas too early toughens them) and serve with lemon wedges and good bread, cellar taverna style.

Serves: 4 · Time: 20 min prep, 30 min chilling, 10 min cook

Minced beef or pork

500g

Stale bread

1 slice, soaked in water and squeezed

Onion

1 small, grated

Egg

1

Fresh mint and parsley

a handful, chopped

Flour

for dusting

Olive oil

for frying

1. Combine the mince, soaked bread, grated onion, egg, mint and parsley in a bowl with salt and pepper.
2. Mix well and chill for 30 minutes to firm up.
3. Shape into small balls and roll lightly in flour.
4. Fry in hot olive oil for 6 to 8 minutes, turning, until deep golden and cooked through.
5. Drain on kitchen paper and serve warm with lemon wedges, as at this Psyrri taverna since 1927.

Serves: 4 · Time: 10 min prep, 30 min cook

Greek country sausage (loukaniko)

400g, sliced

Green and red peppers

4, sliced

Onion

1, sliced

Tinned tomatoes

400g

Olive oil

3 tbsp

Salt and pepper

to taste

1. Heat the olive oil in a wide pan and fry the sausage slices until lightly browned. Remove and set aside.
2. In the same pan, soften the onion and peppers for about 8 minutes.
3. Return the sausage to the pan, add the tinned tomatoes, and season.
4. Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the peppers are soft and the sauce has thickened.
5. Serve hot with crusty bread, courtyard taverna style.

Serves: 4 · Time: 10 min prep, 1 hr marinating, 8 min cook

Lamb chops

8

Olive oil

3 tbsp

Lemon juice

1 lemon

Dried oregano

1 tsp

Garlic

1 clove, crushed

Salt and pepper

to taste

1. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper.
2. Coat the lamb chops in the marinade and leave for at least 1 hour.
3. Grill over hot charcoal for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until charred outside and pink at the bone.
4. Rest for a couple of minutes.
5. Serve simply with lemon wedges and chips, Thiseio favourite style.

Serves: 4 · Time: 10 min prep, 45 min cook

Fresh green beans

600g, trimmed

Potatoes

2, cubed (optional)

Onion

1, chopped

Garlic

2 cloves, chopped

Tinned tomatoes

400g

Olive oil

100ml

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot and soften the onion and garlic for 5 minutes.
2. Add the green beans (and potatoes, if using) and stir to coat in the oil.
3. Pour in the tinned tomatoes and enough water to just cover.
4. Simmer gently, uncovered, for 40 to 45 minutes until the beans are meltingly soft and the sauce has reduced.
5. Serve warm or at room temperature with feta and bread, in the daily changing, produce led style of this taverna near the Archaeological Museum.

Serves: 4 · Time: 10 min prep, 30 min chilling

Feta cheese

200g

Roasted red pepper

1 large, or from a jar

Olive oil

3 tbsp

Red chilli or chilli flakes

to taste

Lemon juice

1 tsp

1. Blend the feta, roasted pepper, olive oil, chilli and lemon juice in a food processor until smooth but still with a little texture.
2. Taste and adjust the heat and lemon.
3. Chill for at least 30 minutes to let the flavours settle.
4. Serve drizzled with extra olive oil and crusty bread, as a sundowner meze with a rooftop view of the Parthenon.

Serves: 1 · Time: 5 min, no cooking

Ouzo

50ml

Cold water

50 to 100ml

Ice cubes

a handful

1. Pour the ouzo into a tall glass.
2. Add cold water slowly; the clear spirit will turn cloudy (louche) as the anise oils separate.
3. Add ice cubes afterwards, not before, so the drink does not turn bitter.
4. Serve alongside small meze plates rather than as a shot, in the unhurried, sunset view style of a rooftop bar.

Serves: 1 · Time: 2 min prep, 5 min cook

Finely ground Greek coffee

1 heaped tsp per cup

Cold water

1 small cup (about 65ml) per serving

Sugar

to taste (sketos none, metrios 1 tsp, glykos 2 tsp)

1. Add water, coffee and sugar (if using) to a briki (long handled pot) and stir once before heating.
2. Heat gently over a low flame without stirring again.
3. Watch closely as the foam (kaimaki) rises just before boiling; remove from the heat at that point.
4. Pour slowly into a small cup, sharing the foam evenly if making more than one.
5. Let the grounds settle for a minute before drinking, literary cafe style.

Serves: 4 · Time: 10 min prep, 20 min chilling

Feta cheese

200g

Greek yoghurt

2 tbsp

Olive oil

3 tbsp

Red chilli or chilli flakes

to taste

Garlic

half a clove, optional

1. Mash the feta with a fork or blend briefly so it keeps some texture.
2. Stir in the yoghurt, olive oil, chilli and garlic (if using).
3. Taste and adjust the heat.
4. Chill for 20 minutes before serving with bread and ouzo or tsipouro, old school after hours style.

Serves: 4 · Time: 10 min prep, no cooking

Watermelon

500g, chilled and cubed

Feta cheese

150g, cubed or crumbled

Kalamata olives

a handful, optional

Olive oil

1 tbsp

Fresh mint

a few leaves

1. Arrange the chilled watermelon cubes on a plate.
2. Scatter over the feta and olives, if using.
3. Drizzle with olive oil.
4. Finish with torn mint leaves and serve immediately as a refreshing plate between rounds on a long clubbing night.

Serves: 4 · Time: 30 min prep (plus 24 hr soaking cod), 20 min cook

Salt cod (bakaliaros)

600g, soaked and desalted 24 hours, changing the water

Flour

150g

Sparkling water

200ml, cold

Potatoes

3 large, for the skordalia

Garlic

3 to 4 cloves

Olive oil

100ml

Vinegar

1 tbsp

1. Boil the potatoes until tender, then mash while hot with the crushed garlic, olive oil and vinegar to make the skordalia; season to taste.
2. Cut the desalted cod into pieces and pat dry.
3. Whisk the flour and sparkling water into a light batter.
4. Dip the cod in the batter and deep fry in hot oil for 4 to 5 minutes per side until golden and crisp.
5. Drain and serve hot with the garlic skordalia, a classic pairing for a wander through Psyrri's late bars.