Greek main courses

20 recipes from across Heart Athens. Each one opens where it sits, next to the place, dish or dictionary entry it belongs to.

Main courseBifteki (Greek minced meat patties)A flat Greek burger of minced meat with onion and herbs, grilled and served with chips or rice rather than in a bun; 'bifteki me feta' has cheese sealed inside.Serves: 6 · Time: 30 min prep, 30 min resting, 15 min cooking · on A to Z GuideMain courseBriam (slow roasted summer vegetables)Summer vegetables, mostly courgette, potato and tomato, baked slowly in olive oil.Serves: 6 · Time: 25 min prep, 1 hr 30 min roasting · on A to Z GuideMain courseFasolakia lathera (green beans in olive oil)Green beans simmered gently in olive oil and tomato until meltingly soft, with potatoes if you want them.Serves: 4 · Time: 10 min prep, 45 min cook · on Eat and DrinkMain courseGemista (stuffed tomatoes and peppers)Tomatoes and peppers stuffed with rice and herbs, baked in olive oil; a summer classic served warm or at room temperature.Serves: 4 · Time: 25 min prep, 1 hr bake · on Taste of AthensMain courseGyros (spit roast pork wraps)Meat roasted on a vertical spit, shaved into pita with tomato, onion, tzatziki and chips; the everyday cousin of souvlaki.Serves: 4 · Time: 15 min prep, 2 hr marinating, 30 min cook · on Taste of AthensMain courseImam baildi (stuffed baked aubergine)A meze of aubergine slow cooked with onion, garlic and tomato in plenty of olive oil, served at room temperature; the name means “the imam fainted”.Serves: 4 · Time: 30 min prep, 55 min cook · on Taste of AthensMain courseKebab (Thanasis style seasoned skewer)Minced lamb or beef kneaded with grated onion, cumin and paprika, then pressed onto flat skewers and grilled.Serves: 4 · Time: 15 min prep, 30 min chilling, 10 min cook · on Eat and DrinkMain courseKokoretsi (spit roasted offal wrapped in intestine)Seasoned offal wrapped in intestine and slow roasted on a spit, a classic Greek Easter dish also sold year round at some grills; strongly flavoured and not for everyone.Serves: 8 · Time: 1 hr preparation, 3 hr roasting · on A to Z GuideMain courseKontosouvli (large marinated pork on a rotisserie)Big chunks of marinated pork turned slowly on a spit, a grill house and village festival dish.Serves: 8 · Time: 20 min prep, overnight marinating, 2 hr 30 min roasting · on A to Z GuideMain courseKritharaki (giouvetsi, beef baked with orzo)Rice shaped pasta, known elsewhere as orzo, and the base of giouvetsi.Serves: 6 · Time: 25 min prep, 2 hr in the oven · on A to Z GuideMain courseMoussaka (baked aubergine and potato bake)The baked casserole of aubergine, spiced minced meat and béchamel, traditionally a midday dish.Serves: 6 · Time: 45 min prep, 45 min bake, 15 min resting · on Taste of AthensMain coursePaidakia (grilled lamb chops)Lamb chops marinated in olive oil, lemon, garlic and oregano, then grilled hard over charcoal.Serves: 4 · Time: 10 min prep, 1 hr marinating, 8 min cook · on Eat and DrinkMain coursePapoutsakia (stuffed aubergine little shoes)“Little shoes”: aubergine halves filled with minced meat and finished with béchamel.Serves: 4 · Time: 30 min prep, 1 hr 20 min cooking · on A to Z GuideMain coursePastitsio (baked pasta and meat bake)Greece's baked pasta dish, long tubes layered with spiced meat and béchamel, a cousin of moussaka.Serves: 6 · Time: 30 min prep, 45 min bake, 15 min resting · on Taste of AthensMain courseSoutzoukakia (Smyrna style cumin meatballs in tomato sauce)Oval spiced meatballs with cumin and garlic in tomato sauce, a dish brought to Greece from Smyrna.Serves: 4 · Time: 20 min prep, 1 hr resting, 40 min cooking · on A to Z GuideMain courseSouvlaki (grilled skewers, home method)Athens' signature street food, grilled meat with pita, tomato, onion and tzatziki; the bare skewer is a 'kalamaki'.Serves: 4 · Time: 15 min prep, 1 hr marinating, 10 min cook · on Taste of AthensMain courseSouvlaki (pork skewers)Athens' signature street food, grilled meat with pita, tomato, onion and tzatziki; the bare skewer is a 'kalamaki'.Serves: 4 · Time: 20 min prep, 2 hr marinating, 10 min cook · on Eat and DrinkMain courseSpanakopita (spinach and feta filo pie)A savoury pie of spinach and feta in crisp filo; the cheese only version is tiropita.Serves: 6 · Time: 30 min prep, 45 min bake · on Taste of AthensMain courseSpetzofai (sausage and pepper stew)Country sausage browned and simmered with peppers, onion and tomato.Serves: 4 · Time: 10 min prep, 30 min cook · on Eat and DrinkMain courseTiropita (cheese and filo pie)Cheese pie in filo pastry, sold by the piece at every bakery and a standard Greek breakfast on the move.Serves: 10 · Time: 30 min prep, 50 min baking · on A to Z Guide

All 71 recipes A to Z