My earliest recollection of eating rabbit was back in 1974 when I visited Greece for the first time. There were rabbits in a barn and although back then I thought they were pets, I soon found out they’d  be used for sustenance. The most popular Greek dish with rabbit is Stifado…a stew of rabbit, wine, vinegar, spices and lots of onions. Tomatoes are the base of the sauce and this stew simmers until the sauce is rich and the rabbit meat just falls off the bone. Stifado is sublime when using a wild hare or jack rabbit (love to get some from any local hunters).

Today’s recipe goes in another direction, a light brown sauce that’s perfumed with thyme, bay leaves and slices of orange peel. There’s also onions, garlic, wine and stock  and some carrots for some sweetness balanced by savory mushrooms.. This dish is a wonderful winter meal: oranges in season, rabbit plentiful and delish!

Braised Rabbit With Mushrooms and Orange

(serves 4)

1 whole rabbit, butchered into piece

coarse sea salt and fresh ground pepper

all-purpose flour

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion, diced

3-4 cloves of garlic, minced

the peel of 1/2 orange, thinly sliced

2 Tbsp. tomato paste

2-3 bay leaves

2 tsp. of fresh thyme leaves

2 cups of sliced mushrooms

1 large carrot, peeled and sliced into rounds

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 – 1 1/2 cups of vegetable or chicken stock

salt and pepper to taste

1. Rinse your rabbit and pat-dry. Season with salt and pepper and lightly dredge in flour. Place a large skillet on your stovetop and add the oil. Over medium-high heat, brown both sides of your rabbit pieces then reserve.
2. Now add the onions, garlic, carrots, bay leaves, thyme and stir. Add some salt and pepper and stir in then sweat for 5-6 minutes. Now add the tomato paste and stir-in and cook for a minute.
3. Now the rabbit pieces go back in the sklllet along with the wine and enough stock to come up halfway up the meat. Bring up to a boil then reduce to simmer and place the lid on (slightly ajar) and cook for about 45 minutes or until the rabbit is fork-tender. Remove the lid and simmer uncovered until the sauce has thickened and adjust seasoning one last time with salt and pepper.
4. Serve on a bed of hilopites (Greek egg noodles) and pair with Carras Limnio white from Halkidiki.

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© 2012, 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.

Ryba po Grecku, is usually pan-fried (with our without) breading then reserved until a sauce of onions, carrots, celery, parsley (sometimes parsnip) and lemon and some bay or another herb of choice may be added to finish the sauce. As a Greek, I immediately thought of Psari (fish) Plaki where whole fish is traditionally baked on a bed of onions, peppers, tomatoes and another similar dish of Psari ala Spetsiota (Spetses style) with onions, tomatoes, wine, parsley and lemon.

I knew the Polish had to been inspired by these two dishes but my curiosity heightened when I found out that Ryba po Grecku is also served as part of a buffet for special occasion dinners, that the Polish also celebrate namedays (like Greeks) and again this Greek-inspired dish would be offered on such days.

AN old friend of Polish descent, Konrad Ejbich adds that on Christmas Eve the Polish do not eat meat and that there should be a total of thirteen courses and one should sample each of the offerings to truly welcome the New Year with promise. My question still remained…how is it that Polish would offer foreign dishes on special occasions like Christmas? Adds Konrad, “there was a time when Poland ruled a great part of Europe (Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth) with one of it it’s hallmarks being religious and cultural tolerance.

Food was obviously included in the Poles’ tolerance of other cultures and now that I think of it…those cookbooks I bought included a Moussaka and Baklava recipe! Ryba po Grecka is a Greek-inspired dish, made through the filter of the Polish palate and using ingredients at hand. I’ve only considered how Greeks in the Diaspora will cook traditional Greek dishes using the ingredients available or on-hand in the particular part of the world where they live. Climate, geography and the availability of Greek ingredients are all factors.

It’s comforting to know and see how much Greek cuisine is so widely loved and appreciated! Ryba po Grecku is a dish served most commonly cold/room temperature but I prefer to eat this warm.

Ryba po Grecku (Fish ala Greque)

(serves 4)

1 lb. sole fillets

cornmeal

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/2 cups of ripe tomato purée (or processed canned tomatoes)

3-4 cloves of garlic

1 large onion, peeled & thinly sliced

1/2 cup diced celery

1/2 cup of shredded carrots (use your box grater)

1/2 cup finely chopped parsley stems

1 tsp. sweet paprika

1 shot of dry white wine

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill

lemon wedges for garnish

salt and pepper to taste

1. If using frozen fillets, thaw overnight in your fridge, otherwise rinse and pat-dry then brush olive oil on both sides of fish and season with salt and pepper. Place back in your fridge while you’re making the sauce.
2. Place a large skillet on your stove over medium-high heat and add the olive oil, onions, garlic, celery, carrot and parsley stems and sweat the veggies for about 5-6 minutes. Now add the wine, paprika and tomato purée, salt and pepper and bring back to a boil then simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the sauce is thick. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, stir in parsley and dill and reserve.
3. Take your fish out of the fridge and allow to come back to room temperature. Heat a large non-stick skillet on your stove-top over medium-high heat. Place about 1 1/2 cups of cornmeal in a plate and dredge both sides of the fish then drizzle some oil in your pan and place your fish in the skillet (fry in batches) and fry for about 2-3 minutes a side or until slightly golden. Remove the fillets and reserve on paper-lined plate.
4. Ryba po Grecka is served family style: spoon some sauce on a platter and then cut the fillets into three pieces and set on the sauce in a domino fashion and then pour remaining sauce over the fish. The polish eat this dish cold so it can be prepared a day in advance but I had it warm with a side of rice pilaf. I drank a Glinavos Primus white (from Epirus) with this.

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© 2012, 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.

Chili con Carne suited the task (cooking demo), it was cold and windy out and this easy dish with a little heat was very timely. Chili con Carne means “chillis” or dried smoked peppers with (con) meat or “carne”. You can go all out and choose your favourite dried chilli pepper and make your own chilli powder: there’s dried garlic and onion, cumin, oregano, ground coriander seed, some cayenne and sweet paprika. Chilli powder is a combo of spices (much like a curry) and the flavours and quality of the mixtures can and will vary.

I’m fine with using a pre-made blend from the supermarket and then just adjusting or accenting the ingredients in chilli powder that I want to be more pronounced. I may add a pinch of cumin, some more oregano or ground coriander. It’s up to you as your mood can change and your chilli can vary depending on who you’re making it for. A party with adults may lead you to make a spicy chilli and if you’re making it with kids in mind – something more mellow would be offered.

Chili con Carne is a Tex-Mex dish and forget about calling it “Mexican”. It’s an easy dish where I begin with browning lean ground beef then I add onions, olive oil, red and green peppers, garlic, bay leaves, chilli powder, diced tomatoes, canned kidney beans and my added twist on Chilli, whole chipotle peppers in adobo. Chipotles are Jalapeno peppers that have ripened to a red colour then dried and smoked and finally added into an Adobo sauce. You can buy these small cans in the Mexican or International aisle at your supermarket and Latin grocers will carry an array of Chipotles in Adobo for sure! After I’ll adjust seasonings with salt and pepper and I may add some more accented flavour in any one or more of the chilli powder’s ingredients.

These recipe takes about 40 minutes from start to finish: brown meat, add vegetables, spices and seasoning and simmer until thick. This all-in-one skillet meal can also be adapted to slow cookers: brown all the meat and add all the ingredients into a slow cooker and simmer for about 3 hours. A lot of new slow cookers now come with timers but even if you have an old one, simply attach one of those household timers to your cooker’s plug and set the time for when you want the cooker to turn on and when to shut off!

I like Chili with a side of garlic bread or corn bread and some grated cheese on top. You like the cheese to slightly melt in the hot Chilli or place it under the broiler until hot & gooey? Your choice!

Chili con Carne

(serves 4-6)

¼ cup. of extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb. of lean ground beef
1 large onion, rough diced
1/2 green bell pepper, rough dice
1/2 red bell pepper, rough dice
3 large cloves of garlic, smashed
1 – 796ml can of diced  tomatoes
2 Tbsp. of chili powder
1 bay leaf
½  tsp. of ground cumin
½  tsp. of ground coriander
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 – 16oz cans of kidney beans (plus liquid)
1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped (according to taste)

1. In a large skillet, add your oil and set the heat to high and brown the meat and add some salt and pepper.
2. Add your onions, garlic, bay leaf, peppers and saute under medium heat for about 10 minutes to soften. Add your diced/chopped cans of tomatoes, the beef, chili powder, kidney beans, oregano, coriander and chipotle peppers.
3. Simmer for approx. 30-40 minutes or until most of the liquid has cooked and the chili is thick. Check the seasoning and adjust seasoning with salt. Serve with some corn bread and stay warm with this very comforting meal.

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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.

Let’s face it – pork tenderloin is the equivalent of chicken breast: lean/little fat, mild in flavour and a healthy protein. The down side is that it needs help with flavours as it’s lacking fat. So, opportunity abounds with pork tenderloin and today I’m adding lots of flavour in three ways: by browning the meat, serving it with an easy but flavourful mushroom sauce and finally – created a flavourful crust. The “crust” becomes a second skin to the meat and in this instance I’ve taken some dried mushrooms and ground them to a powder using an electric coffee mill I have dedicated to spices and such.

The mushroom crust is blended with coriander seeds, black peppercorns, thyme and rosemary, sea salt and some sugar. The sugar is in there so that the meat browns quicker. Pork tenderloin is not that thick and I do not want to overcook this lean meat – sugar aids in the browner and no…there’s no sweetness in the dish! The final step in this quick yet fancy and delicious dish is to make a pan sauce with drippings, onions, garlic, mushroom broth, wine and some cream at the end.

You can buy dried mushrooms at most supermarkets and they range for Cremini to exotic Morels and Porcini. For grinding, use the less expensive dried mushrooms and re-hydrate the more exotic funghi to make your flavourful broth. Dried mushrooms are an excellent flavour enhancer to your dishes and you should consider stocking some in your pantry. Look what I did hear – I made a flavourful mushroom broth with them, created a crust for pork tenderloin begging for more flavour and they enhanced my creamy mushroom sauce. Go update your shopping list!

Pork Tenderloin Seared With a Mushroom Crust

(serves 4)

2 pork tenderloin, trimmed of silver skin

olive oil

approx 2 tsp. fine sea salt

2 tsp. of sugar

1 tsp. of whole peppercorns

1/4 cup dried mushrooms (your choice)

2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves, chopped

1 tsp. fresh rosemary leaves, chopped

Pre-heated 400F oven

Mushroom Sauce

2 Tbsp.  extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup diced red onions

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 cup of mushrooms (sliced Cremini plus your choice of other mushrooms

1/3 cup re-hydrated dried mushrooms

1 tsp. all-purpose flour

1/4 cup dry white wine

3/4 cup of mushroom stock (from re-hydrating the dried mushrooms)

salt and pepper to taste

2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

1. Pre-heat your oven. Place your dried mushrooms, peppercorns, coriander seeds, thyme and rosemary leaves in coffee grinder and process into a powder (you may use a mortar & pestle). Rub the pork with some olive oil and season with salt and sugar then place your ground dry mushroom mixture in a plate and roll the pork until well-coated.
2. Place an oven-safe skillet on your stove-top and pre-heat your stove-top to medium-high heat and add 2-3 turns of olive oil and when hot, sear the pork tenderloin until golden on all sides. Transfer to your pre-heated oven (middle rack) and roast for 6-8 minutes then carefully remove the skillet, remove the pork from the pan and cover with foil and keep warm.
3. In the same skillet, add some more oil (if needed) and add the onions and garlic over medium heat and stir and sweat for about three minutes. Add the mushrooms, some salt and stir until just browned for another couple of minutes (add more olive oil if needed). Now add the flour and stir-in for about a minute. Now add the wine, stock, thyme leaves, salt and pepper and bring up to a simmer and reduce until the sauce is thick enough to just coat the back of a wooden spoon. Add the cream and simmer for another 2 minutes and adjust seasoning once again. Add the chopped fresh parsley into sauce and reserve.
4. Cut your pork tenderloin into medallions and pour the sauce into a platter and place the the medallions on top of the sauce and serve with a rice pilaf or scalloped potatoes. A bottle of  Aidarinis Xinomavro-Negoska blend from Goumenissa.

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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.

I love Batzo because it’s briny but  not that forward or as sharp as a Kefalotyri cheese, it’s holds up well to heat and it’s one Greece’s many cheeses ideal for frying. Saganki? OPA!!

Today I’ve pulled together three Greek dishes into one: frying cheese, a Greek meatball called a “keftede” and another northern Greek specialty – Makalo: a sauce made from drippings in a pan or fat of some sort, flour and liquid. It could be water, stock and spiked with spices or some tomato purée. The consistency of Makalo is much like a gravy and it’s great for dipping fries in it, bread or in this case…cheese and meatballs.

My dad often mixes some ground beef with onions, herbs, binder and hand-rolls some keftedes with which he then dredges in flour and then fry in a heavy-bottomed pan. The keftedes are reserved then pours off the oil and adds some more followed by some flour to make a roux then hot liquid like water or stock, some tomato paste (or juice) and while he’s stirring he’ll add some sweet paprika, a pinch of smoked paprika from his home town of Amynteo and salt to taste. Some Boukovo (chilli flakes) usually were sprinkled at the end.

The meatballs would go into the thick Makalo to heat through and the dunking of bread and nibbling keftedes would ensue. My friend Diane Kochilas shares a Vlach dish from nearby Nymfaio where they would fry-up some Batzo cheese then make a similar Makalo and add the cheese back in. Here, you get two-for-one….fried cheese and meatballs to make a fabulously rustic dish that’s as a far removed from the pretentious eateries of Kolonaki that i can think of.

It’s time for a return to “village dishes” me thinks.

Fried Batzo With Makalo & Kefte (Μπάτζος με Μακαλο και Κεφτες)

(makes 1 appetizer portion for two)

1 slab of Batzos cheese, about 1/2 inch thick (kefalotyri, kefalograviera or a firm kasseri could be used)

olive oil for frying cheese

1 Tbsp. unsalted butter or olive oil

1 heaping tsp. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. of sweet paprika

1 tsp. tomato paste

1 small clove of garlic, minced

approx. 1/3 cup hot water or stock

pinch of smoked paprika

salt and pepper to taste

1.  This dish came about with some leftover keftedes that I added at the end of frying the cheese and making the Makalo, so use whatever leftover meatballs you have or make a batch of my family’s keftedes. Place a heavy-bottomed skillet or cast-iron pan on your stove-top over medium-high heat. Slice a slab of Batzos cheese to about 1/2 inch thick and wet it under some running tap water then dredge it all-purpose flour (shake off excess).
2. Add a turn of olive in the hot pan and once hot, add the cheese and fry for a couple of minutes a side or until crisp and golden. Remove from the pan and reserve. Drain off the oil, wipe the pan clean (so your sauce doesn’t become too dark) and add the butter and as soon as it’s melted, add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon for a minute. Now add the tomato and stir in then add some water, the minced garlic, paprika and stir and gradually add more water until the sauce is thick, creamy.
3. Adjust seasoning with salt, some chilli flakes and a pinch of smoked paprika and gently place the reserved fried Batzo and keftede and allow to warm through for a couple of minutes in the sauce (Makalo).
4. Carefully carry the pan to the table and serve “as is” along with some good crusty bread and a chilled Chrisohoou Petritis Rose from Naoussa.

* You can substitute Batzo with Kefalotyri, Kefalograviera, Halloumi, or a firm Kasseri.

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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.