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Daily Mail
4 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Six delicious Greek dishes made for sharing
PORK SPARE RIBS WITH LEMON AND OREGANO During winter, Thessaloniki, the second-largest city in Greece, becomes lively with festive barbecues and street parties. Our friend Yihao always cooks the best pork spare ribs – he is an absolute master. His mum will make a couple of salads and everyone else will bring something sweet. 1 bunch of oregano salt flakes and freshly cracked black pepper 1kg pork spare ribs (bone-in pork belly), cut into 1.5cm thick slices lemon wedges, to serve For the lemon and oregano oil 125ml olive oil zest of 1 lemon, plus extra to serve 1 tbsp dried Greek oregano 1 Using kitchen twine, tie the oregano bunch together to serve as your basting brush. 2 In a bowl, combine all the ingredients for the lemon and oregano oil and then season with salt flakes and cracked pepper. 3 Season the pork slices with salt flakes and cracked pepper. Heat a barbecue, or a chargrill pan over a high heat. Grill the pork for 5-6 minutes on each side until the meat is charred and cooked through, basting every minute with the lemon and oregano oil (using the bunch of tied oregano as your brush). 4 Remove the pork from the grill, cover with foil and leave to rest for 5-10 minutes. Serve with a good squeeze of juice from the lemon wedges. A note on prep Ask your butcher to slice the spare ribs for you. To enhance the flavour, you can marinate them overnight in the lemon and oregano oil, then brush with a fresh batch of lemon and oregano oil during grilling. CHICKEN SOUVLAKI Souvlaki is one of Greece's most popular street foods and our favourite to eat all year round. Traditionally pork is used, at other times chicken, lamb or beef. Our souvlaki recipe uses chicken thighs, marinated in the classic Greek marinade for most meats: freshly squeezed lemon juice, crushed garlic, dried Greek oregano, olive oil and a good seasoning of salt and pepper. Avoid using chicken breast, as the meat becomes too dry on the grill. You will need six metal skewers for this recipe; if using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 1 hour before cooking, so they don't burn. SERVES 4 4 garlic cloves, crushed zest and juice of 1 small lemon 1 tsp dried Greek oregano 60ml olive oil salt flakes and freshly cracked black pepper 1kg boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 4cm chunks To serve tzatziki Greek fries (see below) 1 In a bowl, combine the crushed garlic, lemon zest and juice, oregano and olive oil and season with salt flakes and cracked pepper. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour, or overnight. 2 Preheat a barbecue, or a chargrill pan over a medium-high heat. Thread 5-6 chicken pieces onto each skewer. Grill, turning frequently, for 15 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. 3 Serve the skewers with the tzatziki and Greek fries. SWORDFISH WITH ROASTED GRAPES AND GREEN OLIVE SALSA In our family, cooking fish isn't just about preparing a meal, it's a way of honouring our dad's deep love of fishing. Growing up, we always had our boat in the driveway – a constant reminder of the countless hours Dad spent on the water in fishing tournaments, creating memories that became stories shared around the dinner table. For this particular dish, we have added the grapes as our own little touch. We reckon Dad would have thought this crazy, yet once roasted, their sweetness is lovely with the swordfish and the tang of the green olive salsa. SERVES 4 300g white grapes, on the vine 2 tsp honey 60ml olive oil salt flakes 4 swordfish fillets, 200g each, skin off, bones removed 100g small red grapes, halved For the green olive salsa 150g green olives, pitted and chopped 60ml extra virgin olive oil 2 tsp white wine vinegar 1 tbsp fresh oregano leaves, chopped 1 Preheat the oven to 200C/ 180C fan/gas 6. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Put the white grapes on the baking tray and drizzle with the honey as well as 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Season lightly with salt flakes. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the grapes are lightly roasted but are still holding their shape. 2 Meanwhile, add all the ingredients for the green olive salsa to a bowl and stir to combine. Set aside. 3 Heat a large chargrill or griddle pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle the swordfish fillets with the remaining olive oil and season with salt flakes on both sides. 4 Cook the swordfish for 2-3 minutes on each side, until lightly charred and done through. 5 Divide the swordfish among four serving plates, along with the roasted grapes and fresh grapes, then drizzle with the green olive salsa and serve. AUBERGINE AND ROASTED RED PEPPERS Spiked with garlic, fresh parsley, lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil, melitzanosalata, as this mezze dish is called, is lovely with warm pitta bread. Cooking aubergines over an open flame will give them a smoky flavour and creamy texture. If that method isn't an option, you can achieve a similar result by baking the aubergines in a 200C oven. Coat in some olive oil, sprinkle with salt and roast for 1 hour, or until the skin is slightly darkened. 2 large aubergines, about 850g in total 1 red pepper vegetable oil, for shallow-frying 2 pitta breads, cut into large wedges 1 small red onion, finely chopped 1 garlic clove, crushed ¼ bunch of parsley, finely chopped zest of 1 lemon, plus 2 tbsp lemon juice 125ml extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling 1 tsp salt flakes and freshly cracked black pepper 1 Carefully place a small flame-resistant rack over an open flame set to medium heat. Arrange the whole aubergines on the rack and cook for 15-20 minutes, rotating them occasionally until dry and blackened on the outside and soft in the middle. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then slice the aubergines in half and place them in a sieve over a bowl to allow any excess liquid to drain out. 2 Pierce the red pepper with a skewer and place over the open flame for 15 minutes, turning occasionally, until softened and charred. Put in a bowl, cover with clingfilm and leave to sweat for 20 minutes. The charred skin should now pull away from the flesh easily. 3 Heat 1cm of vegetable oil in a large saucepan until the oil reaches 180C on a kitchen thermometer. Fry the pitta bread wedges in batches for 2 minutes on each side, until golden brown and crispy. Drain on paper towel. 4 Using a large spoon, scoop the flesh from the aubergines into a bowl, then mash with a fork. Chop the red pepper and add to the bowl. Stir in the remaining ingredients, season and drizzle with a little extra olive oil to serve. A note on prep To enhance the smoky flavour, make the melitzanosalata the day before; it will keep covered in the fridge for up to 1 week. GREEK FRIES WITH GOAT'S FETA AND OREGANO On most taverna menus, patates tiganites, as Greek fries are known, will be the first dish to request – and a second (sometimes third) helping will likely be ordered. Every time we smell fried potatoes it takes us right back to our yiayia Koula's kitchen. It's a truly magical aroma. 1kg potatoes (the floury variety are best for this) olive oil, for deep-frying, plus extra to serve 1 tsp dried Greek oregano salt flakes 60g goat's (or alternatively cow's milk) feta 1 Peel the potatoes and cut into chips about 1cm thick. In a large bowl, cover them with cold water and soak for 30 minutes. (This draws out the starch and helps achieve crispier chips during frying.) Drain well, thoroughly pat dry a with paper towel or a clean tea towel and set aside. 2 Half-fill a saucepan with olive oil and heat to 180C (on a kitchen thermometer). Deep-fry the potatoes in batches for 3-4 minutes, until golden and crispy. Drain on a paper towel to remove any excess oil. Season with the oregano and salt flakes and crumble the feta over. STICKY FIG AND HONEY SEMIFREDDO Whether fresh or dried, figs are an essential part of the Greek culinary experience – especially in summer, when they are ripe and ready to be eaten straight from the tree. Here, sweet and jammy figs star in our semifreddo – one of those fabulous desserts you can make ahead and have ready to go when guests arrive. SERVES 4 6 figs, stems removed, roughly chopped 230g caster sugar 500ml double cream 1 tsp vanilla-bean paste 4 egg yolks Greek honey, to serve 1 Put the figs and half the sugar in a small saucepan over a low heat. Cook for 15 minutes, or until the figs are softened and jammy, stirring occasionally. Scoop the figs and syrup into a bowl, then leave in the fridge for 15 minutes to cool completely. 2 Line a loaf tin with clingfilm. (Ideally the tin should be 9.5cm x 20cm at the base and 11.5cm x 23cm at the top.) 3 Pour the cream into a large mixing bowl. Add the vanilla-bean paste. Lightly whip with an electric mixer until soft peaks begin to form. 4 In a separate bowl, and using clean beaters, whisk the egg yolks and remaining sugar until light and creamy. Add the cream mixture and whisk in. 5 Pour into the loaf tin and stir in the figs. Cover with clingfilm and leave in the freezer for about 3 hours, or until frozen. Cut into thick slices and serve drizzled with the Greek honey. A note on prep The joy of this dessert is that it can be prepared the day before and will keep in the freezer for up to 5 days. CLAMS WITH LEMON RICE It was on a holiday to the island of Skopelos that we first ate clams with rice. It was a warm summer's afternoon, we were sitting with friends. The rice was lemony, spiked with fresh dill, the clams were the freshest ones we had ever eaten, and we remember thinking we just had to share this recipe in our next book. The best part is when the rice sticks to the clams, and you get to suck all the delicious juices from the shells. Mussels are a great substitute here if you prefer them to clams. SERVES 4 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve 1 tbsp salted butter 1 white onion, finely sliced 2 garlic cloves, crushed 300g medium-grain white rice, rinsed zest of 2 small lemons, plus 60ml lemon juice 125ml white wine 1 kg small clams, purged 625ml vegetable stock small handful of dill leaves, chopped 1 Heat the olive oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 7-8 minutes, until the onion has softened. Stir in the garlic, rice and half the lemon zest and cook for about 2 minutes, until the rice is coated. Pour in the wine and cook for about 5 minutes, until reduced by half. 2 Add the clams and stock, cover with a lid and cook for about 30 minutes, until the rice is tender and the clams have opened. Discard any unopened clams. 3 Pour in the lemon juice and carefully stir it through. Scatter with the dill and remaining lemon zest, finish with a drizzle of olive oil and serve immediately. GREEK GIANT BAKED BEANS (gigantes plaki) This is the 'I can eat this for breakfast, lunch and dinner' meal we could literally eat every day of the week. Cooked in the oven with all the spices and tomatoes, these beans hold so much flavour and are perfect with some feta crumbled on top. SERVES 4-6 500g dried butter beans salt flakes 60ml olive oil, plus extra to serve 1 brown onion, sliced 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 large red pepper, chopped 2 large tomatoes, chopped 1 tsp dried Greek oregano 1 tsp smoked paprika 350g tomato passata 100g chopped Swiss chard leaves 1 Place the beans in a large bowl and cover with 5cm cold water. Leave to soak overnight, or for at least 12 hours. The following day, rinse the beans well with water at least three times, until the water runs clear. 2 Place in a large saucepan with 3 litres water. Season with salt flakes and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 1½-2 hours, skimming the froth off the top as needed, until the beans are al dente but not mushy. Drain and set aside until needed. 3 Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Fry the onion for 8 minutes, or until slightly softened. Add the garlic, red pepper, tomatoes, oregano and paprika. Cook, stirring, for a further 10 minutes, or until softened. Stir the passata through, along with the cooked beans and chard. NOW BUY THE BOOK Our recipes are from OPA! Recipes Inspired By Greek Tavernas by Helena and Vikki Moursellas, with photographs by Bonnie Coumbe (Smith Street Books, £30). To order a copy for £22.50 until 24 August, go to or call 020 3176 2937. Free UK delivery on orders over £25.
Telegraph
22-06-2025
- General
- Telegraph
Spaghetti with gin and a lemon butter sauce
Think of pasta alla vodka. That sweet, slightly tangy, creamy-but-not-in-a-heavy-way sauce which is so silky and clings to the penne. This sauce does a similar thing. The lemon and softened garlic are rounded out by the splash of gin. Plenty of parmesan and black pepper add savoury depth. And cold butter swirled through at the end brings it all together. It's as if pasta al limone and fettuccine Alfredo had a baby. It's fast, satisfying, the perfect Friday night dinner at the end of an odd week. Ingredients 200g spaghetti 2 tbsp olive oil, for frying 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped juice of 3 lemons 60ml gin or vodka 20g freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving 1 heaped tsp of freshly cracked black pepper, plus extra for serving 30g cold butter a few chives, snipped, to serve (optional) Method Step Put a large pan of salted water on to boil. Step Cook 200g spaghetti until almost al dente or according to the package instructions, then drain, reserving 30ml of the cooking water. Step Meanwhile, set a large frying pan over a low heat and add 2 tbsp olive oil. Step Add 4 garlic cloves (finely chopped) and a big pinch of salt. Cook for 2 minutes. Step Add juice of 3 lemons and cook for another 2 minutes, then add 60ml gin (or vodka) and cook for 3 minutes more. Take off the heat. Step Put the 20g freshly grated Parmesan and 1 heaped tsp of freshly cracked black pepper in a bowl. Pour a little of the reserved cooking water in the bowl – just enough to make a paste with the cheese. Step Put the cheese mixture in the garlic pan then turn the heat to medium. Step Cook, stirring vigorously for a couple of minutes, or until you have a sauce which is starting to cling to the spaghetti. Step Turn the heat off, add the 30g cold butter and keep stirring until melted. By now the sauce should be glossy. Speaking of gin, it's national gin day on Saturday apparently. A good excuse to put a bottle in the freezer to chill while you peruse our thorough collection of gin recipes, from twists on a classic G&T to ice lollies and jellies. Happy cooking, and see you next Friday!
The Guardian
18-05-2025
- General
- The Guardian
How to make the perfect pasta al limone – recipe
Al limone (no translation needed) is perhaps the perfect primo for this time of year, when we're still waiting for the produce to catch up with the temperatures. The zesty citrus sings of the south, of heavy yellow fruit against a blue Mediterranean sky, while the butter gives just enough richness to make up for any chilly spring breezes. As Nigella observes, this is a dish that can 'equally offer summer sprightliness or winter comfort'. Although I happen to agree with Daniel Gritzer when he writes on Serious Eats that 'a satiny butter sauce like this pairs better with fresh noodles', I wouldn't turn down Catherine Phipps and Nigella Lawson's dried linguine, nor Rachel Roddy's dried (or fresh!) tagliatelle in her second book, Two Kitchens, nor even the River Cafe Classic Italian Cookbook's dried pici. (Pici, Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers explain, 'is a handmade pasta, made with plain flour and water, which is only found in Tuscany' – though bucatini, they allow, may be substituted). Though I find spaghetti and linguine the most satisfying to slurp, this selection suggests that just about any long noodle, fresh or dried, is acceptable here. (I note that Ali Slagle uses a short ribbed shape, such as penne or gemelli, in her one-pot pasta with ricotta and lemon for the New York Times, but that seems to me to be a slightly different beast.) Most recipes I try use both the aromatic zest and the zingy juice of the lemon, with Gritzer explaining that 'a small dose [of juice] will add a subtle tart counterpoint to all the richness, while allowing the aromatic oils from the lemon zest to remain prominent. More juice will punch up that brightness and also steal some of the spotlight from the zest.' When, as well as how much, you add makes a difference, however; while the oils in the zest, released by grating, can withstand a certain amount of heat, the flavour of lemon juice is much more delicate. So, like Gritzer, I'm going to add it right at the end of cooking – he, Lawson's How to Eat and Roddy all recommend adjusting the quantity to taste, depending on how punchy you'd like the dish, which seems sensible given that lemons vary so wildly in size, juiciness and acidity (Bee Wilson recently conducted a small survey and found that a rocca imperiale Calabrian lemon yielded twice as much juice as a supermarket version, though it was also four times the price. As a consequence, she writes: 'I'm starting to see that there is really no such thing as 'the juice of a lemon'. There is only the juice of this lemon or of that lemon, each with their own specific perfume, their own pattern of dimples on the skin, their own juice waiting to be discovered under the layer of pith.' She, like the late Russell Norman, favours Amalfi lemons, though you may be relieved to learn I tested this recipe using the common or garden supermarket variety, unwaxed but also ungenerous of juice, and can confirm they will very much do here.) The River Cafe, whose lemons come from a Tuscan garden, uses just the juice for a more straightforwardly tangy result without the sweeter, more complex perfume of the skin. And while that approach has its merits, it seems a bit of a shame, in a dish that ought to be all about the lemon, to neglect this part of it. This is where the recipes I try diverge, because every recipe I try has a different approach to balancing the sourness of the lemon juice. In Norman's book Brutto, he calls the 'principle of the sauce close to carbonara', and with a similar egg and grated cheese base. Roddy and the River Cafe's versions, meanwhile, remind me more of cacio e pepe, in which olive oil, grated cheese and pasta cooking water are beaten together to produce a thick sauce that Roddy describes as 'surprising' in that it manages to be 'both soothing and vital at the same time'. Both are delicious, but the overwhelming flavour is of cheese, rather than fruit and, while I certainly would never complain about too much cheese, I'd like the lemon to be the dominant flavour note here. Lawson's recipe puts me in mind of a less traditionally Italian carbonara-style sauce using egg yolk and double cream, which coats the pasta beautifully and works better, my testers and I decide, than Katie Caldesi's cream-only version in her (excellent) Italian Cookery Course, which one tester reports reminds them – not unpleasantly, mind – of a 'lemon-flavoured yoghurt'. I laugh, but I know what she means: the combination of cream and lemon zest has a tendency, even with Caldesi's generous hand with the cheese, to suggest possets and the like. Indeed, Gritzer goes as far as to decree that dairy 'mutes lemon flavour', taming its natural zing into something much quieter and more soothing, which is why he opts for a butter and pasta water emulsion instead. This allows the flavour of the lemon to sing, an approach also favoured by New York chef Frank Prisinzano, who told America's Test Kitchen in 2023 that the 'limone dishes I've had on the Amalfi coast are actually made with cream, and I didn't like it that way. I thought it was too heavy. So I started playing around with making a pasta water and butter emulsion with the spaghetti in the pot. The spaghetti acts as a whisk, and it creates an actual beurre blanc – which is a French sauce – but it beautifully coats the noodles.' (Prisinzano, finding lemon zest 'too strong', simply adds the squeezed lemon shells to the pan to release their aroma, suggesting the presence of a more refined palate than I can boast.) Almost everyone uses parmesan in startling quantities (Caldesi warns readers not to skimp on it, because 'the lemon needs the cheese to counteract its sharpness, so scatter liberally'), but I reckon the cleaner, saltier, more acidic flavour of Norman and the River Cafe's pecorino works much better, if you have some on hand – though I'd guess most hard Italian cheeses would do the job. Gray and Rogers use two sorts: fresh and aged Tuscan pecorino – the first, a moist, semi-hard cheese, to beat into lemon juice to create a 'thick, lumpy sauce', and the second, drier and more forceful in character, to season and garnish. I won't be using cheese as the base of my sauce, so I've gone for the aged pecorino alone. This has the added benefit of being much easier to find in the UK, but, that said, the flavour of the younger cheese is a lovely pairing with the lemon juice, giving the dish an almost yoghurt-like freshness. I like the perky flavour and colour that Caldesi, the River Cafe and Norman's basil brings to the dish (though you may prefer Lawson's flat-leaf parsley). Roddy reports that she has on occasions also added rocket, while Phipps, in her book Citrus, suggests asparagus, which would be a nice nod to the seasonal produce we have in abundance right now (I suspect that frozen peas, always in season, would also be a good bet). Gritzer adds garlic, which is gilding the lily; this should be all about the lemon, with a supporting cast of butter, to enrich the sauce and salty cheese to season and thicken it. Simple. Prep 5 min Cook 10 min Serves 2 (and easily doubled or halved) Salt and black pepper 180g-200g fresh thick pasta noodles (or 160-180g dried) – eg, bucatini, spaghetti, fettuccine, tagliatelle or linguine 30g butter 1 unwaxed lemon 20g pecorino romano, or another hard aged cheese, finely grated1 small handful fresh basil leaves (optional) Bring a medium pan of salted water to a boil, then add the pasta – it should be covered with, but not swimming in water, because the starchier the water, the better it will be at thickening the sauce later. While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a wide pan until foaming, add most of the grated lemon zest, then turn off the heat until the pasta is ready. When the pasta is al dente, or done to your liking, scoop out and set aside a small cupful of its cooking water, then drain the pasta well. Turn on the heat under the butter and lemon zest pan to medium-high, then add the drained pasta plus a splash of its cooking water. Toss vigorously until well coated, then add most of the grated cheese and keep stirring until well combined, adding a little more pasta water if necessary. Take off the heat, add a pinch each of salt and pepper, the juice of about half the lemon and most of the basil (if you are using it), then toss again to distribute. Taste and adjust as necessary. Divide between plates, top with the remaining lemon zest, cheese and basil, and serve immediately. Cream or butter, pecorino or parmesan? Versions of this fragrant dish are made, the River Cafe claims, from Tuscany to Naples – where does your loyalty lie?
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Indiana Department of Health urges precautions against tick-borne illness
A death in Floyd County attributed to ehrlichiosis, a tick-borne illness, has prompted Indiana health officials to urge Hoosiers to take precautions, as ticks are active from early spring through late fall. The Floyd County Health Department and the Indiana Department of Health are investigating the fatal case of ehrlichiosis, a tick-borne bacterial infection. Indiana reported two ehrlichiosis deaths last year. In addition to ehrlichiosis, Hoosiers are at risk for several other potentially severe tick-borne diseases. While Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne disease in Indiana, Hoosiers are also at risk for a group of diseases that includes Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. They are also at risk for alpha-gal syndrome, a condition caused by tick bites that can trigger an allergic reaction to red meat. The risk for tick-borne diseases is present in all parts of the state, the state health department said in a news release. Preventing tick bites is the best way to prevent tick-borne diseases. The state encourages Hoosiers to take the following precautions: • Know where ticks are likely to be present (close to the ground in grassy, brushy, or wooded areas). • Treat boots, clothing and outdoor gear with 0.5% permethrin (however, permethrin should NOT be used on bare skin). • Use EPA-registered insect repellents with active ingredients such as DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE), para-menthane-diol (PMD) or 2-undecanone. • Treat pets for ticks in consultation with a veterinarian. Once indoors, people should thoroughly check for ticks on clothing, gear, pets and skin. Tumbling clothes in the dryer on high heat for 30 minutes will kill ticks, and showering can help remove any unattached ticks. Attached ticks may be safely removed by using tweezers to grasp the tick close to the skin and then pulling outward with steady and even pressure. After the tick is removed, the area should be washed thoroughly. Ticks should never be crushed with the fingernails. Anyone who becomes ill after finding an attached tick should see a healthcare provider immediately and alert the provider to the exposure. Most tick-borne diseases can be treated with antibiotics, and prompt diagnosis can help prevent complications. Visit the IDOH website for more information about ticks and how to prevent the diseases they carry, as well as a data dashboard. More information also is available online at
