Feel the beauty of Mediterranean cuisine while staying within the confines of your own apartment or home. Feel the freshness of juicy vegetables, the tenderness of traditional cheese, the satiety of aromatic meat with an unleavened flat cake. Prepare Greek-style snacks for a festive or casual meal.
It is necessary
- Dakos:
- - 4 thick slices of barley or wheat bread;
- - 3 tomatoes;
- - 150 g sheep cheese or feta;
- - 70 g pitted olives;
- - 1/2 tsp dried basil;
- - olive oil;
- Suvlaki:
- - 700 g of pork neck;
- - 3 pitas;
- - 3 tomatoes;
- - 100 ml of olive oil;
- - 1 small lemon;
- - 2 tbsp. hot mustard;
- - 1/3 tsp ground black pepper;
- - 1/2 tsp oregano;
- - salt;
- Saganaki:
- - 300 g feta;
- - 200 g of arugula;
- - 1 chicken egg;
- - 120 g flour;
- - 3 tomatoes;
- - 2 cloves of garlic;
- - 1 bitter pepper;
- - 2 sprigs of thyme and tarragon (tarragon);
- - 2 tbsp. vegetable oil;
- - 1 tbsp. lemon juice;
- - 1/2 tsp each oregano and rosemary;
- - 200 ml of olive oil;
- Taramasalata:
- - 225 g smoked cod roe;
- - 150 ml each of olive and nut oil;
- - 1 clove of garlic;
- - half a lemon;
- - 3 sprigs of parsley.
Instructions
Step 1
Dakos
Dry the bread in the oven at 170oC to a crisp state. Let them cool, moisten with a little water to soak the center, and olive oil. Peel the tomatoes and grate the pulp.
Step 2
Season the tomato puree with basil and spread evenly over the breadcrumbs. Crush the cheese with your hands or a fork and spread over the tomatoes. Chop the olives finely and sprinkle on the sandwiches. Drizzle each with a spoonful of olive oil and serve the dakos immediately.
Step 3
Suvlaki
Wash the meat thoroughly, pat dry and cut into equal medium cubes. In a deep bowl or container, combine lemon juice with 70 ml olive oil, mustard, oregano, black pepper and 1 tsp. salt and marinate the pork in this mixture. Place the lid on or tighten with plastic wrap and leave in the refrigerator for a few hours.
Step 4
Soak 6 wooden skewers in water for 10 minutes. Sprinkle the meat on them and fry it in a grill pan, barbecue or in the oven at 200oC for 10-15 minutes.
Step 5
Brush the pitas with olive oil and bake until golden brown, but briefly, to maintain firmness. Cut the tortillas lengthwise, transfer in half to a plate and place a kebab on each. Garnish souvlaki with salted tomato wedges. Be sure to add the Greek tzatziki sauce to the dish.
Step 6
Saganaki
Make a dressing in advance, for this, pour olive oil into a glass jar, dip peeled cloves of garlic, whole sprigs of herbs and bitter pepper there. Close the container tightly and put it in a cool place without access to light for 2 days.
Step 7
Cut the feta into 1 cm thick slices. Beat the spiced egg and a pinch of salt. Heat vegetable oil in a skillet or saucepan. Fry the cheese until golden brown by dipping the slices into the egg and breading in flour. Blot it with a paper towel to remove excess grease.
Step 8
Cut the tomatoes into slices and arrange in a circle on a wide platter, alternating with toasted feta. Pour arugula into the empty center of the crockery. Sprinkle everything with lemon juice and pour over the dressing.
Step 9
Taramasalata
Fill the caviar with cold water for 3-4 hours, then fold it onto a fine mesh sieve and rub through it to remove the shell. Beat the resulting mass with a mixer at low speed, adding freshly squeezed lemon juice. Without stopping the operation of the device, slowly pour in two types of oil alternately. At the very end, add 2-3 tbsp. boiling water, crushed garlic and chopped parsley. Serve this Greek appetizer with pita bread or toasted bread.
