4 days ago
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.
