Taste of Athens

Serves: 4 · Time: 15 min prep, 20 min cook, 20 min chilling

Aubergines

2 large

Garlic

1 clove, crushed

Olive oil

3 tbsp

Lemon juice

1 tbsp

Red wine vinegar

1 tsp

Salt and pepper

to taste

1. Char the whole aubergines directly over a flame or under a hot grill, turning, until the skin blisters and the flesh collapses, about 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Leave to cool, then peel away the charred skin and drain the flesh in a sieve for a few minutes.
3. Chop the flesh finely and mix with garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, salt and pepper.
4. Chill for 20 minutes before serving with bread, courtyard garden style.

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

Chicken stock

1.5 litres

Rice or orzo

100g

Eggs

2

Lemon juice

2 to 3 lemons

Cooked chicken

shredded, optional

1. Bring the stock to the boil and cook the rice or orzo until tender, about 15 minutes.
2. Whisk the eggs with the lemon juice in a bowl.
3. Ladle a little hot stock into the egg mixture, whisking constantly, to temper it.
4. Pour the tempered mixture back into the pot off the heat, stirring continuously until it thickens slightly.
5. Add the shredded chicken if using, season, and serve immediately, as it will curdle if boiled again.

Serves: 6 · Time: 20 min prep, 35 min bake

Filo pastry

8 sheets

Milk

750ml

Semolina

100g

Sugar

100g

Eggs

2

Butter

melted, for brushing

Icing sugar and cinnamon

to finish

1. Heat the milk with the sugar until just below boiling, then whisk in the semolina and cook, stirring, until thickened, about 5 minutes.
2. Cool slightly, then beat in the eggs to make the custard.
3. Layer the filo sheets in a buttered tray, brushing each with melted butter.
4. Spread the custard over the filo, then fold the edges over and top with more buttered filo sheets.
5. Bake at 180C for 30 to 35 minutes until golden.
6. Dust generously with icing sugar and cinnamon before serving warm.

Serves: 6 · Time: 40 min prep, 45 min cook

Vine leaves

40, fresh or preserved

Rice

200g

Onion

1, finely chopped

Fresh dill and mint

a handful, chopped

Olive oil

100ml

Lemon juice

2 lemons

1. Blanch fresh vine leaves briefly in boiling water, or rinse preserved leaves well.
2. Mix the rice, onion, herbs and half the olive oil for the filling; season.
3. Lay each leaf flat, place a spoonful of filling near the stem, fold in the sides and roll up tightly.
4. Pack the rolls tightly in a pot, seam side down, cover with water, the remaining oil and half the lemon juice.
5. Weigh down with a plate, cover, and simmer gently for 45 minutes.
6. Serve warm or cold with the remaining lemon juice.

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

Yellow split peas

300g

Onion

1, finely chopped

Olive oil

100ml, plus extra to serve

Lemon juice

1 lemon

Red onion or capers

to garnish

1. Rinse the split peas and place in a pot with the onion and enough water to cover generously.
2. Simmer for 40 to 45 minutes, skimming occasionally, until the peas are completely soft and falling apart.
3. Blend until smooth, loosening with a little of the cooking water if needed.
4. Stir in most of the olive oil and season with salt.
5. Serve warm or at room temperature, drizzled with more olive oil and lemon juice, topped with chopped red onion or capers.

Serves: 1 · Time: 5 min, no cooking

Instant coffee

2 tsp

Cold water

2 tbsp, plus more to top up

Sugar

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

Ice cubes

4 to 5

Milk

a splash, optional (frappe me gala)

1. Put the instant coffee, the 2 tablespoons of cold water and sugar (if using) into a shaker or the coffee's tin cup.
2. Shake vigorously (by hand or with a small hand mixer/frappedaki) for about 30 seconds until a thick, pale foam forms.
3. Pour the foam into a tall glass over ice cubes.
4. Top up with cold water, and add a splash of milk if you like it 'me gala'.
5. Serve with a straw; order it 'metrios' for medium sweetness. It is now the older, more retro order next to freddo espresso, and stays popular with older drinkers and tourists rather than the under forty crowd.

Serves: 1 · Time: 5 min, no separate cook time (espresso is pulled fresh)

Espresso coffee

a double shot (about 50ml), freshly pulled

Sugar syrup

to taste (sketos none, metrios a little, glykos more)

Ice cubes

plenty, for the shaker and the glass

1. Pull a double espresso shot and let it cool for a minute; a hot shot will melt the ice too fast and dilute the drink.
2. Pour the hot espresso, with sugar syrup if using, into a cocktail shaker with plenty of ice.
3. Shake hard for 15 to 20 seconds until a thick, tan crema forms on top and the shaker feels ice cold.
4. Strain into a tall glass filled with fresh ice.
5. Order it 'sketos' (no sugar), 'metrios' (medium) or 'glykos' (sweet), the same scale used for frappe and Greek coffee.

Serves: 8 · Time: 25 min prep, 40 min bake, 2 hr soaking

Milk

1 litre

Semolina

150g

Sugar

150g, plus extra for the syrup

Eggs

3

Filo pastry

10 sheets

Butter

melted, for brushing

Lemon

1, for the syrup

Water

250ml, for the syrup

1. Heat the milk with the sugar until warm, then whisk in the semolina and cook, stirring, until thickened, about 8 minutes. Cool slightly and beat in the eggs.
2. Layer half the filo sheets in a buttered tray, brushing each with butter.
3. Pour in the custard and top with the remaining filo sheets, brushing each with butter and tucking in the edges.
4. Score the top into portions and bake at 180C for 40 minutes until deep golden.
5. Meanwhile, simmer the sugar, water and a strip of lemon peel for 10 minutes to make a syrup.
6. Pour the hot syrup over the hot pie as soon as it comes out of the oven, and leave to soak for at least 2 hours before serving; this classic mastiha scented style sometimes adds a pinch of ground mastic to the custard.

Serves: 4 · Time: 25 min prep, 1 hr bake

Large tomatoes and peppers

4 of each, tops cut off and hollowed

Rice

200g

Onion

1, chopped

Fresh parsley and mint

a handful, chopped

Olive oil

120ml

Potatoes

2, cut into wedges, to bake alongside

1. Mix the rice, onion, herbs and half the olive oil, plus the reserved tomato flesh, for the filling; season well.
2. Stuff the hollowed tomatoes and peppers loosely (the rice will expand) and replace their tops.
3. Arrange in a baking dish with the potato wedges tucked in around them.
4. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and a splash of water.
5. Bake at 180C for 1 hour, basting once, until the vegetables are soft and the tops caramelised.
6. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves: 4 · Time: 15 min prep, 2 hr marinating, 30 min cook

Pork shoulder

700g, thinly sliced

Olive oil

3 tbsp

Dried oregano

2 tsp

Garlic

3 cloves, crushed

Pitta breads

4

Tomato, onion, tzatziki and chips

to serve

1. Marinate the pork slices in olive oil, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper for at least 2 hours.
2. Stack the slices tightly on a vertical spit, or thread onto skewers as a home substitute.
3. Roast or grill, carving off crisp outer layers every few minutes as they cook, for about 25 to 30 minutes total.
4. Warm the pitta breads.
5. Fill each pitta with the carved meat, tomato, onion, chips and tzatziki, and wrap tightly to serve.

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

Tomatoes

4, cut into chunks

Cucumber

1, sliced

Green pepper

1, sliced

Red onion

half, thinly sliced

Kalamata olives

a handful

Feta cheese

1 block, about 150g

Olive oil

4 tbsp

Dried oregano

1 tsp

1. Combine the tomatoes, cucumber, pepper, onion and olives in a bowl.
2. Season with salt (lightly, as the feta is salty).
3. Place the whole block of feta on top rather than crumbling it, in the traditional village style.
4. Drizzle everything with olive oil and scatter with dried oregano.
5. Serve with bread to mop up the juices; do not add lettuce or vinegar, which are not part of the traditional version.

Serves: 4 · Time: 10 min prep, 12 min cook

Mixed wild greens or spinach and chicory

800g, washed

Olive oil

4 tbsp

Lemon juice

1 to 2 lemons

Salt

to taste

1. Trim any tough stems from the greens and wash thoroughly, as they are often gritty.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook the greens for 8 to 12 minutes, until tender (tougher varieties take longer).
3. Drain well.
4. Serve warm or at room temperature, dressed generously with olive oil and lemon juice at the table.

Serves: 4 · Time: 30 min prep, 55 min cook

Aubergines

4 small, halved lengthways

Onion

2, sliced

Garlic

3 cloves, sliced

Tinned tomatoes

400g

Olive oil

150ml

Sugar

1 tsp

Fresh parsley

to finish

1. Slit the flesh of each aubergine half in a criss cross pattern without cutting through the skin, then salt and leave to drain for 20 minutes.
2. Pat dry and fry cut side down in olive oil until golden, then set aside in a baking dish.
3. In the same pan, soften the onion and garlic, then add the tomatoes and sugar and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Spoon the tomato mixture generously over and into the aubergines.
5. Bake at 170C for 45 minutes until completely soft.
6. Serve at room temperature, scattered with parsley, as is traditional for this dish.

Serves: 8 · Time: 20 min prep, 1 hr proving, 20 min bake

Strong bread flour

500g

Dried yeast

7g

Warm water

300ml

Sugar

1 tbsp

Salt

1 tsp

Grape must syrup (petimezi) or honey and water

for coating

Sesame seeds

150g

1. Mix the flour, yeast, sugar and salt, then bring together with the warm water into a soft dough. Knead for 8 to 10 minutes.
2. Cover and prove for about 1 hour until doubled.
3. Divide into 8 pieces, roll each into a rope and join the ends to form a ring.
4. Dip each ring in diluted grape must syrup (or honey and water), then roll generously in sesame seeds.
5. Bake at 200C for 18 to 20 minutes until golden and crisp outside, soft within.
6. Best eaten the same morning, street cart style.

Serves: 4 · Time: 10 min prep, 1 hr proving, 15 min cook

Strong flour

300g

Dried yeast

7g

Warm water

350ml

Sugar

1 tsp

Salt

half tsp

Vegetable oil

for deep frying

Honey, cinnamon and crushed walnuts

to finish

1. Whisk the flour, yeast, sugar and salt with the warm water into a thick, smooth, sticky batter.
2. Cover and leave in a warm place for about 1 hour, until bubbly and doubled.
3. Heat oil for deep frying to around 180C.
4. Drop tablespoons of batter into the hot oil (wetting the spoon helps) and fry in batches for 3 to 4 minutes, turning, until golden and puffed.
5. Drain on kitchen paper.
6. Serve warm, drenched in honey and scattered with cinnamon and crushed walnuts.

Serves: 1 · Time: 5 min prep, no cooking

Metaxa brandy

50ml

Fresh lemon juice

25ml

Sugar syrup

15ml

Egg white

1 (optional, for foam)

Ice

a handful

1. Add the Metaxa, lemon juice, sugar syrup and egg white (if using) to a cocktail shaker without ice and shake hard for 15 seconds (a dry shake) to build the foam.
2. Add ice and shake again vigorously for 15 to 20 seconds until well chilled.
3. Strain into a chilled coupe or rocks glass.
4. Garnish with a twist of orange peel and serve immediately.

Serves: 4 · Time: 20 min prep (assembling several small dishes), no single cook time

Tirokafteri or tzatziki

1 bowl

Kalamata olives

a handful

Feta cheese

1 block, drizzled with olive oil and oregano

Dolmades

6 to 8

Fried courgette or aubergine slices

a plateful

Bread

for the table

1. Arrange each dish in its own small bowl or plate rather than combining them.
2. Space them around the table so several can be reached at once, rather than served in sequence.
3. Order in stages through the evening, adding new plates as others empty, rather than everything at the start.
4. Pair with ouzo, tsipouro or a chilled glass of retsina, and let the meal run slowly over conversation.

Serves: 6 · Time: 45 min prep, 45 min bake, 15 min resting

Aubergines

2 large, sliced

Potatoes

3, sliced

Minced beef or lamb

500g

Onion

1, chopped

Tinned tomatoes

400g

Bechamel sauce

600ml (butter, flour, milk, egg yolk, nutmeg)

Olive oil

for frying

1. Salt the aubergine slices and leave to drain for 20 minutes, then pat dry and fry or grill until golden; fry the potato slices too.
2. Brown the mince with the onion, then add the tomatoes and simmer for 20 minutes to make a thick ragu; season with cinnamon if you like.
3. Make the bechamel: melt butter, whisk in flour, then gradually whisk in milk until smooth and thick; off the heat, beat in an egg yolk and nutmeg.
4. Layer potatoes, then aubergines, then the meat sauce in a baking dish, finishing with the bechamel on top.
5. Bake at 180C for 45 minutes until golden and set.
6. Rest for 15 minutes before cutting, so the layers hold together.

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

Large prawns

500g, peeled, tails on

Ouzo

50ml

Tomatoes

400g, chopped, or tinned

Feta cheese

150g, crumbled

Olive oil

3 tbsp

Garlic

2 cloves, chopped

1. Heat the olive oil in a wide pan and soften the garlic for 1 minute.
2. Add the prawns and cook briefly until just turning pink.
3. Pour in the ouzo and, standing well back, carefully ignite it to flambe off the alcohol (or simply let it bubble hard for a minute if you prefer not to flambe).
4. Add the tomatoes and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until slightly reduced.
5. Scatter over the crumbled feta and cook for 2 more minutes until just melting.
6. Serve immediately with bread, in the classic taverna style that showcases ouzo as a cooking spirit as well as a drink.

Serves: 6 · Time: 30 min prep, 45 min bake, 15 min resting

Tubular pasta (bucatini or penne)

400g

Minced beef

500g

Onion

1, chopped

Tinned tomatoes

400g

Bechamel sauce

700ml (butter, flour, milk, egg, nutmeg)

Grated hard cheese (kefalotyri or parmesan)

100g

1. Cook the pasta until just al dente, drain and toss with a little butter and one beaten egg to help it set.
2. Brown the mince with the onion, add the tomatoes and simmer for 20 minutes with a pinch of cinnamon.
3. Make the bechamel and beat in the remaining egg once slightly cooled.
4. Layer half the pasta, then the meat sauce, then the rest of the pasta in a baking dish, and top with the bechamel and grated cheese.
5. Bake at 180C for 40 to 45 minutes until golden on top.
6. Rest for 15 minutes before cutting into squares.

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

Grilled sardines or anchovies

a plateful

Kalamata olives

a handful

Feta cheese

1 block

Grilled octopus or fried whitebait

a plateful

Bread and olive oil

for the table

1. Retsina is a resinated white wine, not a dish to cook; it is traditionally served well chilled alongside food rather than made into one.
2. Grill the sardines or octopus simply, with just olive oil, salt and lemon.
3. Arrange the fish alongside the olives, feta and bread on a shared plate.
4. Serve very cold retsina in small tumblers, refilled often, in the old taverna style; its resin note is designed to cut through oily, salty meze.

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

Firm cheese (kefalograviera or graviera)

300g, cut into thick slabs

Flour

for dusting

Olive oil

2 tbsp

Lemon

1, cut into wedges

1. Dip the cheese slabs briefly in water, then dust well in flour, pressing to coat evenly.
2. Heat the olive oil in a small frying pan until hot.
3. Fry the cheese for 1 to 2 minutes per side, until deeply golden and just starting to soften inside, without letting it collapse.
4. Serve immediately with a squeeze of lemon, as it firms up quickly once off the heat.

Serves: 4 · Time: 15 min prep, 1 hr marinating, 10 min cook

Pork or chicken

600g, cubed

Olive oil

3 tbsp

Lemon juice

1 lemon

Dried oregano

1 tsp

Garlic

2 cloves, crushed

Salt and pepper

to taste

1. Mix the oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper, then coat the meat and marinate for at least 1 hour (2 for a deeper flavour).
2. Thread onto skewers.
3. Grill over hot charcoal or a griddle for 10 to 12 minutes, turning regularly, until charred and cooked through.
4. Rest briefly, then serve with warm pitta, tomato, onion, tzatziki and chips, or straight off the skewer with lemon and bread.

Serves: 6 · Time: 30 min prep, 45 min bake

Spinach

1kg, washed and chopped

Feta cheese

250g, crumbled

Spring onions

4, chopped

Fresh dill

a handful, chopped

Eggs

2

Filo pastry

10 sheets

Olive oil or melted butter

for brushing

1. Wilt the spinach in a dry pan until it releases its water, then drain very well and cool.
2. Mix the spinach with the feta, spring onions, dill and eggs; season with pepper (the feta usually provides enough salt).
3. Layer half the filo sheets in a buttered tray, brushing each with oil or butter.
4. Spread the filling evenly, then top with the remaining filo sheets, brushing each one.
5. Score the top into portions and bake at 180C for 40 to 45 minutes until golden and crisp.
6. Cool slightly before cutting along the scored lines.

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

Tarama (cured fish roe)

150g

Stale bread or boiled potato

150g

Vegetable oil

150ml

Lemon juice

2 lemons

Onion

1 small piece, grated, optional

1. Soak the bread in water and squeeze dry, or boil and mash the potato, then place in a food processor with the tarama.
2. Blend while slowly drizzling in the oil, alternating with the lemon juice, until pale, thick and creamy (like a mayonnaise).
3. Add the grated onion if using and pulse briefly.
4. Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving with bread or raw vegetables.

Serves: 4 · Time: 15 min prep, 1 hr chilling

Thick Greek yoghurt

500g

Cucumber

1, grated and squeezed dry

Garlic

2 cloves, crushed

Olive oil

3 tbsp

White wine vinegar or lemon juice

1 tbsp

Fresh dill or mint

optional, chopped

1. Grate the cucumber, salt it lightly and leave in a sieve for 10 minutes, then squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
2. Mix the yoghurt, cucumber, garlic, olive oil and vinegar or lemon juice in a bowl.
3. Stir in dill or mint if using, and season to taste.
4. Chill for at least 1 hour so the flavours meld before serving with bread or as an accompaniment to grilled meat.