Kalofagas - Greek Food & Beyond » Condiments

Purslane Tzatziki

Peter Minakis — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 02:36:33 +0000

One person’s weed is another person’ dinner. Purslane grows amok in Greece and the other nations that surround the Mediterranean. This succulent can be found growing in gardens, roadside and yes, even at the farmer’s markets. In Greece, purslane is often made into a salad (or a salad component), stewed or simply added as a garnish.

I don’t remember purslane growing here in Toronto until recently and my suspicion is that it started sprouting up after the city banned pesticide use to kill weeds as part of lawncare. I never thought it would come to this but…gee thanks David Miller (former Mayor of Toronto). So, I see purslane growing among potted plants, herbs and in the corners of our lawn.

Purlsane can creep into your garden, all to the more reason to pick it for eating. Traditionally purslane was used to treat liver ailments, liver ailments, headaches and shortness of breath. Purslane is also high in omega-3 fatty acids which are believed to protect against heart attacks ans strenghthen the immune system. Purslane is also loaded with vitamin C and beta-carotene and there’s a tart flavour to the bite.

I’m not re-inventing Tzatziki here nor am I the first to offer this twist with purslane. I offer this dish as an alternative to the traditional Tzatziki. Tzatziki is made of strained yogurt, garlic, grated cucumber, olive oil and either lemon or vinegar with chopped dill ( or mint) to round out the dish. Subtract the grated cucumber and add the purslane.

Remember, purslane has a tart flavour and therefore you won’t need as much lemon juice or vinegar as with the old’ skool Tzatziki. If you have purslane in your garden try this version of Tzatziki – you won’t have to grate the cucumber nor squeeze the water out of it either. Look for purslane in your garden and try it out in a salad or make this Tzatziki the next time you’re having Greek night.

Tzatziki is a Greek condiment (we call it a salad) that’s often served as part of array of mezes or an accompaniment with souvlaki, grilled lamb, potatoes or fried zucchini chips. Heck, it’s great just scooping it up with pita bread or good crusty bread.

Purslane Tzatziki (Τζατζικι με Γλιστρίδα)

500 gr. of plain yogurt (full fat)

1 cup of purslane leaves and stems (choose tender, thin stems)

1-2 cloves of minced garlic (depending how garlicky you like it)

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill

splash of Ouzo

squeeze of lemon juice to taste

salt to taste

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Empty your tub of yogurt into a fine mesh strainer and place a bowl or pot under it. Cover and place in the fridge overnight. You will wake up to strained “Greek-style” yogurt that ha thickened and reduced to half the volume. Empty the strained yogurt into a bowl and discard the liquid.
Thoroughly wash your purslane and and pat-dry, then chop half of it (keeping the rest whole). Mince your garlic and add it into the yogurt along with the purslane, some salt and some olive oil. Stir with a spoon until mixed well and taste. Adjust with lemon juice, salt and more olive oil if needed. Taste again then add a splash of Ouzo and the chopped fresh dill and mix again. Cover and store in the fridge until needed.

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© 2011, Peter Minakis. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://kalofagas.ca then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at truenorth67 AT gmail DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author.

Thessaloniki Mustard

Peter Minakis — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 17:57:59 +0000

One of my favourite condiments is mustard and my affinity has nothing to do with that yellow ballpark stuff most of you are familiar with but it from my first taste of good mustard…in Thessaloniki of all places! My first trip to Greece was in 1974, accompanied by my mother who had not seen her family seen 1968 (when she emigrated to Canada). I met my mother’s side of the family for the 1st time: grandparents, wonderful aunts and uncles (I was spoiled as I was the firstborn), and a handful of cousins.

Greece saw the fall of the military Junta in 1974 and I used to see uncles abruptly leave for military duty – caused by the Turkish occupation of northern Cyprus. Greece also saw a return to democracy with the return of exiled politician Konstantine Karamanlis – the man also responsible for bringing Greece into the European Union. Hold on…the food aspect of this post is coming.

view of Thessaloniki's White Tower from OTE tower in the Fair grounds.

Konstantine Karamanlis was to arrive from Paris to Thessaloniki (Greece’s second largest city) to be be greeted by ecstatic Greeks welcoming him and a new age of hope, prosperity for this country that deserved better. Karamanlis arrived in Thessaloniki to attend the Thessaloniki International Fair (and he was a Macedonian from nearby Serres). My uncle (Theo Mitso) took my mother, myself and relatives jammed into his Opel station wagon and we set out to greet Karamanlis in what I remember as being a parade of sorts with thousands of people lined on either side of the road to see and greet Karamanlis. I remember the pure euphoria of the people as this next great hope for Greece arrived.

Thessaloniki Fair with OTE tower in the background

I also remember attending the Thessaloniki International Fair. It was a combo of amusement park and pavilions set up by visiting countries and companies wishing to increase trade with Greece. Funnily, I remember Chinese men speaking Greek at the China pavilion. I thought it strange that anyone other than Greeks spoke Greek!

As a kid I remember the amusement rides – the usual GO-KARTS, merry-go-rounds and other whirly rides that kids go looopy for. I also remember the food – the inspiration for today’s post and product feature – mustard. In the those days, the Thessaloniki Fair would sell these thin red sausages in a toasted bun with a mild mustard that had a hint of sweetness balanced with mustards tart flavour and it was runnier that what most are used to. I loved this mustard with sausages and during the Fair, Fix Hellas beer brewed/sold a dark beer for the coarse of the Fair.

I later would taste such house made mustards at these small grill shacks that lined Polytechnio Street where Tsimiki ended. Locals would begin eating house made keftedes on parchment that would be served with sliced onions, tomatoes, bread and a basket of bread. Options were a hot pepper, a slab of Feta and your choice of drink…restina or beer.

Again, this runny, sweet and sour mustard would enthrall me. I would squirt some onto my parchment paper, sprinkle some Boukovo and swipe the keftedes or loukaniko (sausage) into this golden condiment. Only few shops in Thessaloniki still make this mustard and when I do discover it – the shop instantly becomes a fave of mine.

This past May when in Greece, I met the folks who run Ergon Greek Food shops and one of their signature products is their Thessaloniki Mustard. The first taste of this mustard took me back to 1974 when I had that slim loukaniko in a toasted bun with that mustard. I found some slim lamb sausages at the butchers and they instantly reminded of the loukanika served at the Thessaloniki Fair.

I paired the sausages with some grilled asparagus as they are in season and go very well with this mustard. I grilled some homemade bread, rubbed some garlic and drizzled olive and sprinkled salt and Greek oregano. Grilled onions also fitted on the plate and an ice-cold beer (or two) rounded out the meal.

Ergon’s Thessaloniki Mustard can be found at their main shop on Gregory Palama in central Thessaloniki (5 Grigoriou Palama, 54622 Thessaloníki, Greece) and at their second location in Sani Resort’s Marina area.

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Ergon All-Greek General Store

Peter Minakis — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 12:39:11 +0000

Readers of this blog will know that I try use and feature Greek products in my cooking whenever possible. There is still a supply/demand gap here in the West but the situation is improving year by year. In Greece prior to it’s entry into the EU (1981), one would only find local Greek goods and very few imported goods. Today, one can find almost every food item from all over Greece. This is becoming more evident with shops similar to Ergon opening-up across Greece.

I first discovered Ergon’s existence during my visit to the Sani Gourmet Festival in Kassandra, Halkidiki, where they have just opened a second shop. Myself and my food blogging friends were treated to an afternoon of noshing on some of Ergon’s fine products (with the help of some Ouzo & Tsipouro). I met Thomas Douzis and his staff and quickly found out that Ergon’s flagship store was located in Thessaloniki and that I should pay them a visit. No arm-twisting needed.

Ergon sells only Greek-made products from Crete to Macedonia, Epirus to Rhodes, Thrace to Messinia….the four corners of Greece! Ergon’s goal is to feature and carry products made by small artisans and they receive tips from their local clientele on the newest discovery. Ergon keeps very busy just checking out these new products and from chatting with Thomas, his enthusiasm for Greek artisan food products makes me believe he’ll stock each and every one of them!

Upon entering Ergon, you’ll get a whiff of the pastourma that hangs in the back of the store over the deli counter. Located deep in the store like a bank vault you will find deli meats like prosciutto, pastourma, pastrami, salami and sausages…..all made in Greece. Beside the deli meats are the precious cheeses that come from all over Greece: Cretan Graviera, Batsos from Macedonia, barrel-aged Feta, smoked Metsovone from Epirus and even an aged Manouri….all Greek!

Ergon is a “pantopoleon” – selling practically every pantry item for the Greek household. An array of legumes like chickpeas. beans and lentils are supplied by small producers and Ergon has many of its own labeled products, carefully vetted before appearing on their shelves.

What would a Greek general store be without olives? How about an array of olive oil, including a local olive oil from Halkidki? Ergon even sells cookbooks, there’s grape leaves, a small selections of wines, Ouzo and tsipouro.

Shopping at Ergon, one can buy goods for all three meals of the day: how about some organic eggs, or Greek yougurt made from goat or sheep’s milk? An array of marmalades, rusks like Cretan Dakos, and Greek gold…honey!

For lunch, try some of the legumes and make baked gigantes beans or a pot of Fakkes soup or Fassoulada? Don’t forget Ergon has a wide array of herbs and spices to complement your pantry.

Ergon is the type of store where one can make an impressive meze table featuring the “best of Greece”…truffles in oil from Grevena, aged cheeses from distant islands in the Cyclades, wild boar sausages, smoked Apaki (pork) from Crete or spreads made with Feta, taramosalata, roasted red peppers, smoky eggplant or a fig spread?

One of the products I went loopy over were these lasagna chips that had the texture of corn chips but were flavored with onions, spinach, oregano and they were ideal for dunking into an array of sauces. Ask about their mustards….some of the best I’ve had in years. The red pepper and tomato sauces are great on their own or to complement one of your dishes.

Ergon’s flagship store is centrally located just off Tsimiski in Thessaloniki’s shopping district. It’s located on Gregory Palama, a small street just west of Diagonios and it’s within eye’s view from Tsimiski. Ergon’s second store is located at the Sani Resort, in the marina. You’ll find in beside the Tomato restaurant and they carry almost all the goods found in Thessaloniki.

Ergon’s Sani Resort location also just opened a small Ouzeri that includes a menu developed by Master Chef Dimitris Skarmoutsos. I can’t wait to go back and try out more of the products on Ergon’s shelves, chat with the guys and talk about food, food, food while nibbling on some cheese and slices of deli meats and what the Hell…pour some tsipouro!

“Ergon “

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Soft Shell Crab With Red Pepper Skordalia

Peter Minakis — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 17:32:54 +0000

One of the many strong points of Greek cuisine is that within the lifestyle/way Greeks eat is also the meze/appetizers served at one’s home or at the rustic taverna. Mezedes (appetizers) may come in the form of dips, table cheeses, olives, salads, savory pies, meats and of course, fish and seafood. The plates are small, sharing is encouraged and the endless ordering off the menu ensues. It’s not unusual for Greeks to eat, chat, drink, eat, drink (and chat some more) way beyond midnight.

I found some frozen soft-shell crab at the market and with my living in Toronto (about 12 hours drive from the Atlantic), I knew I had come across a rare treat to be enjoyed…soft-shell crab. Simplicity rules here with a couple of twists to some classic Greek dishes: I’m using my recipe for dredging calamari and applying it to soft-shell crab and rather than serve the crab with an aoli, I’m opting for a Skordalia. Skordalia is a dip/condiment made with either bread or cooked potatoes and spiked with raw garlic and made light and fluffy with the addition of extra-virgin Greek olive oil. Skordalia is classically served with battered & fried salt cod fish.

My small twist to a classic Skordalia is adding some roasted red peppers to satisfy my Floriniotiko craving. Before I get on to the recipe, a few things of soft-shell crab: Live/raw, they appear black/green in colour and the reason they are “soft shell” is because they are caught just after they have molted their hard shell. Here in North America, soft-shell crab is in fact the blue crab (after it has shed its exoskeleton). The soft-shell crab get dunked here in some buttermilk then get dredged in my flour mixture and they are simply shallow-fried until crisp and golden.

Soft Shell Crab With Red Pepper Skordalia (Καβουρια Τηγανιτα με Σκορδαλια απο Πιπερια Φλωρινης)

(serves 4 as appetizer)

4 soft shell crabs

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp. corn starch (or rice flour)

2 Tbsp. corn meal

1 tsp. sweet paprika

1/2 tsp. ground pepper

1 /2 tsp. fine sea salt

Red Pepper Skordalia

1 large Russet (or Yukon Gold) potato

1-2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 Tsp. red wine vinegar

1 roasted red pepper

pinch of Boukovo (chilli flakes)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 toasted pine nuts, chopped

salt to taste

Oil for frying (regular olive oil or sunflower oil)

First, let’s make the red pepper Skordalia by placing your potato (skin on) in a pot with enough water to cover it and add some salt. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and boil until the potato is fork-tender (about 15 minutes). In the meantime, char your roast pepper on a gas grill, gas stove-top or broiler in your oven until all sides of the pepper are blackened & blistered. Place in a bowl and cover with cling-wrap. When the pepper is cool enough to handle, peel and discard the skins, remove the stem and seeds and mash the meat of the pepper and reserve.
Once your potato has cooked, drain and replace with cold water and as soon as the potato is cool enough to handle (should still be warm), use the back of a knife to peel away the skins. Place the potato through a ricer and into a bowl. Add the red pepper puree, garlic and wine vinegar and quickly mix with a fork. Add the olive oil in small increments and continue mixing with your fork (add more oil only when the potato mixture has absorbed it). Add the chopped toasted pine nuts and adjust seasoning with salt. Reserve.
To prepare your soft-shell crab, snip off the flappy tail and the snip off the the face (front) of the crab. Now gently squeeze behind where face was to remove the tomalley. Now gently open the top part of the crab until you see the lungs on each side of the crab. Lift with your fingers, snip-off with your scissors and discard.
In a bowl, add the all-purpose flour, corn starch, corn meal, paprika, black pepper and salt and mix well with a fork. Have a quick taste by dabbing your finger in and adjust taste accordingly. Dip the crabs in the buttermilk then gently dredge them in the flour mixture (soft-shell crabs are delicate and you don’t want to break off the claws and feet).
Add about 1 inch of oil into a deep pan and heat to a temperature of approx. 360F. Carefully place your crabs into the hot oil and fry for about 3 minutes a side or until golden. Remove and place on a paper-towel-lined plate to absorb excess fat then plate. Serve on a platter with a lemon wedge and a some red pepper Skordalia on the side. Serve with a Domaine Tselepos Amalia Brut sparkling wine.

If you are not rading this post in a feed reader or at http://kalofagas.ca then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at truenorth67 AT gmail DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author.

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Oysters with Sparkling Rosé Mignonette Sauce

Peter Minakis — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 00:27:37 +0000

The year 2010 is coming to a close and many of us are in a reflective mode, others preparing for New Year’s celebrations or looking forward to attending a party with family or friends. The usual way to celebrate the coming of a New Year is by opening up some champagne or a sparkling wine of your choice.

Since the ushering in of the New Year is all about new beginnings, why not try a sparkling wine from Greece? My parents come from the towns of Amynteon and Agios Panteleimon - two neighboring towns with a blessed plateau in between that has been producing award-winning wines for ages. The indigenous grape varietal in this region is the Xinomavro grape. Xinomavro is literally translated as “sour-grape”.

Pavlou Estate Vineyards, Agios Panteleimon, Florina

The Xinomavro grape is a wild one, bearing varied results to the inexperienced vintner but to the seasoned winemaker, Xinomavro can produce reds, blanc noirs (whites) and rosés. The region of Amynteon’s rosés are considered some of the best in Greece and they hold-up very well to Champagne.

I most recently made a baked oyster dish that I paired with this Pavlou Sparkling rose and I loved the pairing so much that I wanted an excuse to open another bottle of rose, this time with some raw oysters. Having our family’s summer home in Halkidiki (walking distance to the beach) and blessed with a bounty of fish and seafood, I’ve come to appreciate cooked (grilled, baked, fried) and raw seafood. There are no oysters in season in the summer in Greece but I do enjoy slurping on some fresh-caught venus clams!

In the winter, oysters appear in the fishmongers’ stands in Greece and lucky for us here in Canada, we have a bounty of fresh oysters from both the Pacific and Atlantic. Once again, I’m using Malpeques from Prince Edward Island and after clumsily shucking my first batch of oysters, I’ve gone & bought the Trudeau Oyster Knife. It made this task much easier.

Today, I’m making a my own riff on the classic Mignonette Sauce made with white wine, wine vinegar and shallots – popular condiment for raw oysters and my favourite. Another fave with oysters is a squeeze of lemon juice and fresh-grated horseradish (none of that jarred stuff for me). So, to satisfy both cravings, I’ve added some radish into this Mignonette and rather than using white wine, Greek sparkling rose wine is used. Add a fine dice of red onions (traditionally it’s shallots) and red wine vinegar and this twist on Mignonette comes together rather nicely!

Oysters with Sparkling Rosé Mignonette Sauce (Στρειδια με Σαλτσα “Mignoentte” απο Αφρώδες ροζέ)

(suggested 6 oysters per person)

12 Malpeque oysters (or fresh oysters of your choice)

2/3 cup sparkling rose wine

2 Tbsp. of good red wine vinegar

1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper

2 Tbsp. finely diced red onions (or shallots)

1 Tbsp. of finely diced radishes

In a small pot, add your sparkling wine and vinegar and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce to a simmer and and boil down to one-half. Take off the heat and add the red onions, radishes and cracked black pepper. Adjust seasoning accordingly and allow to cool.
To shuck your oysters, place some crushed ice on a platter and reserve. Place your oyster on a secure work surface and hold the oyster in one hand, wrapping half the oyster with a tea towel to help you grip it. Ensure the hinged end of the oyster is facing out and with one hand holding your oyster and the other holding your knife, stick the knife into the hinged end of the oyster. Dig the knife into the hinge while wiggling it until the oyster begins to open. Now slide the knife across the top shell of the oyster so as to disconnect the top muscle and now slide the knife around the other side of the oyster.
You should now be able to open the oyster. Discard the top shell and slip your knife under the oyster meat to disconnect the muscle from the bottom shell. Remove any pieces of shell or dirt and take a whiff of the oyster. The oyster should smell of the sea (and any other fishy odour means it’s gone bad and should be discarded). Place the oyster on ice and continue shucking your oysters.
Serve your oysters on the half-shell, chilled and with a bowl of the Sparkling Rosé Mignonette Sauce and serve a Pavlou Estate Sparkling Rosé. Spoon a little bit of the Mignonette Sauce on an oyster, slurp it up and sip some sparkling wine.

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://kalofagas.ca then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at truenorth67 AT gmail DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author.

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© 2010, Peter Minakis. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://kalofagas.ca then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at truenorth67 AT gmail DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author.