Στιφάδο - Stifado - Beef and Onion Stew

Find it on the menu as Στιφάδο

In the Greek Food top ten chart, you’ll find Stifado in at number 7.

That’s behind Moussaka, Kleftiko, Souvlaki, Baklava, Greek Salad, and Tzatziki, but ahead of Dolma, Gemista, Lukamades.

Though I think in our personal top ten it would be right up there at the top (though sorry, We just love a good proper Greek Salad.)

Stifado though is just straightforward full-on comfort food. No two ways about it. We should point out that the dish was probably brought to Greece by the Venetians.

Curiously, though it’s one of the most popular dishes in restaurants, it’s also one of the most mispronounced by foreigners, though Greek waiters will know exactly what you mean (and that you are foreign.) The D in Stifado is actually closer to the TH in the English ‘there.’

But hey… does that matter if it tastes good?

There are loads of different ways to make Stifado, and the meat involved doesn’t always have to be beef or lamb. Some people make it with chicken or particularly rabbit. You could also add all sorts of vegetables into the mix as well.

The secret of the flavour comes down to the herbs and spices you use.

We made ours stove-top, though you could also casserole it, or use a slow cooker if you have one.

Method

Brown off the meat in a mix of butter and olive oil. I used stewing steak, chopped into chunks. Then set aside.

In the same pan fry up some whole baby onions or or shallots. Sprinkle over a spoonful of castor sugar. Add in some chopped garlic, as much as you please, a cinnamon stick if you have one, or ground cinnamon will do. A whole bay leaf. A pinch of allspice and some ground cloves but go easy on these. Add of course some dried Oregano because..just about every Greek dish has oregano.

After a few minutes, add some tomato purée, a spot of red wine vinegar, then a lot of chopped tomatoes, canned is fine, and eventually a small glass of red wine. Local farmers’ wine is ideal.

Let this bubble for a bit before returning the meat to the pan. Put a lid on it and let it simmer on a medium heat for the best part of an hour. Keep checking, stirring and adding some stock if it looks like it is drying up.

It’s ready when the meat is perfectly soft.

We deviated from the regular recipe by adding some tinned boiled potatoes which work really well in the mix, though of course, everything comes with chips in Greek restaurants.

Served with a side dish of spinach tossed in onions and garlic, with a little cream.

Μελομακάρονα - Melomakarona - Honey Macaroons.

Honey Macaroons.

Find it in the shops as Μελομακάρονα - Melomakarona

Whereas in the UK we might reach out for Mince Pies at Christmas, you’ll find little Greek fingers making their way to the Μελομακάρονα - Melomakarona - AKA Honey Macaroons.

It’s quite clear the Greeks have a very sweet tooth.

It’s very hard to describe them really … but the overriding feature is that they are drenched in honey.

It’s not quite cake. It’s much finer. And is made with Semolina.

So… start with the syrup.

300g water, 600g sugar, 2 cinnamon sticks, 3 cloves, 1 orange, cut in half, and 200g honey.

Put all the ingredients apart from the honey into a pan and boil for 5 mins, until the sugar is dissolved. Then stir in the honey and put to one side.

For the cake…

150g of Semolina, 500g flour and 1/2 tablespoon of baking powder into one bowl and mix well.

In a second bowl, all the rest of the ingredients:

100ml Orange juice, 3 Tablespoons of Cognac, 100g sugar along with a tablespoon of powdered Cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon of Ground Cloves, a teaspoon of Vanilla Essence, and mix well.

Add a tablespoon of baking soda and whisk till it’s foamy. Add about 100g of water, 125ml of Olive Oil, and same of Sunflower Oil, some Orange Zest and 50ml of Honey. Mix well.

Combine the bowls and knead it into a sticky dough.

Preheat your oven to 180C.

Mould the mix into egg shapes. and place on some greaseproof paper on a tray. Prick deeply with a fork.

Cook for about 20 minutes.

While hot - dip the macaroons into the honey mix you made earlier for about 20 seconds, and then set aside to cool. Sprinkle with finely chopped walnuts and powdered cinnamon.

They will keep for weeks.

Σοφρίτο - Sofríto - Pan fried Veal

Pan Fried Veal (or Beef, pork or Chicken)

Find it on the menu as Σοφρίτο - Sofríto

So - if you like Garlic, then you’ll love a uniquely Corfu dish called Sofrito.

You can find some form of this dish all across the Mediterranean - Italy, Catalonia, Spain all have their versions. The word itself apparently meaning just cutting things up small and frying them in oil.

Corfu clearly inherited Sofrito from its Venetian heritage.

It’s so old as a recipe that any new fangled ingredients like tomatoes or peppers which come from the New World are not to be found within it. So - pre 1492 (When Columbus sailed the Ocean Blue.)

Some recipes even spurn garlic (shudder).

If you are not keen on veal - opt for pork - the kind you get in Gyro or Pita here in Corfu. Beef is also good, as is chicken.

Pre-cooked the pork cuts, and sledged them in some peppered flour with a teensy bit of cayenne, before sautéeing them in butter and little oil till browning a little. Set them aside.

Into the pan goes the Garlic - as much as you can justify. Roughly chopped. Before they brown, splash in some white wine vinegar to deglaze the pan before returning the meat. Cook until seething, and then add about a wine glass of white wine and half a jug of beef stock.

Optionally here, some recipes call for capers, a tablespoon of sugar and some lemon juice.

Certainly add chopped parsley.

Cover and simmer for an eternity - keep checking to make sure it doesn’t dry out.

The result should be a rich brown comforting sauce with soft tender meat.

In the tavernas it’ll come with chips.

Παστιτσάδα - Pastitsada - Chicken Stew and Pasta

Chicken Stew and Pasta

Find it on the menu as Παστιτσάδα - Pastitsada

First of all, you’ll find a lot of variation in Pastitsada. Some recipes call for Chicken, some for beef.

Pastitsada it seems is the Corfu equivalent of a Sunday Roast. It’s a family dish. Something to bring people together around a big pot of tomato and chickeny goodness. Extremely easy to make.

The name comes from the Venetian Pastizzada meaning ‘something messed up.’ Possibly because it doesn’t seem to matter which meat you use, or what carbs you choose to serve it with, however Chicken + Pasta seems to be the preferred option in these health conscious times. Especially if the source chicken is barbecued a bit, and the pasta is nicely buttery.

The basic recipe is as follows…

Roast a boneless chicken joint in some olive oil. Chopped it into lumps.

Separately in a big pan,make a sauce with onions, garlic, crushed cloves, bay leaf, cinnamon, fried in butter and olive oil. Season with salt, black pepper, white wine and vinegar. To which add a can of chopped tomatoes. Cook well.

Place the chicken in a baking dish, and smother it with the sauce and place into the oven to slow cook to allow the sauce to permeate the chicken.

Serve with buttery pasta, heavily black-peppered, and some grated Parmesan cheese.

They don’t seem to be so fussy about the spices … you’ll see Oregano - which goes into everything here - smoked or unsmoked paprika and cumin. Don’t overdo the spices as they are all very strongly flavoured.

Like anything - leave it for a day … everything tastes better after a day.

τυροπιτάκια - Tyropitákia - Cheese Pie

Greek Cheese Pie

Find it on the menu as τυροπιτάκια - tyropitákia

This is a phenomenally comforting dish, and it’s dead easy, and there is so much room for creativity.

You’ll need:

Four cheeses - One of which should be Feta. Take a look in the supermarkets, and experiment with some local cheeses. This recipe used a Ricotta style, hard cheese, a Parmesan or similar, and a blue cheese. About 100g of each.

Break up the Feta and grate the others, and mix together with a cup of single cream, two beaten eggs, pepper and some chopped mint. Plus a sprinkle of Dill and Oregano. Pop into fridge for 30 minutes.

Use a pack of 7 sheets of Filo Pastry, and chopped them in half. That will define the size of your baking dish.

Grease the dish - use a spray Olive Oil - and lay down 7 layers of Filo… spraying each layer with Olive Oil.

Then spread the Cheesy mix evenly.

Lay down another 7 layers of Filo, each sprayed with oil. Give the top a final spritz, flick with water and sprinkle Sesame Seeds on top.

Cook in a pre-heated oven 180C, for 40 minutes.

Keep an eye on it. Rotate if you have an uneven heat in your oven. And maybe spritz the top with some more oil half way through.

ντολμάδες - Stuffed Vine Leaves

Dolmades

Find it on the menu as ντολμάδες

One of the staples of Greek cuisine which has happily made it into the world at large, and just about on every menu you’ll see in Corfu. It’s quite fun to make them yourself and of course you’ll find the ingredients in most of the bigger supermarkets.

Vine leaves, if you can get them, need to be washed, de-stemmed and blanched in hot water before use, setting them aside to dry out before the assembly stage. Cabbage leaves are a good back-up.

For the filling.. cook and rinse the rice.

In a pan, add 100ml of Olive Oil, and some chopped onions. Cook the onion till it begins to look a little see-through, but not caramelised. Add the rice. And about a mug of warm water. Squeeze in the juice of a lemon. Cook until all the water is absorbed. Season well with salt, pepper and herbs - parsley, basil or dill work well.

To assemble - lay the vine leaf shiny side down, add the filling and then fold first the lower part of the leaf over the filling, then the left and right tightly, and finally the top down, ending with a stumpy cigar effect.

Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice, salt and pepper.

It’s not over yet.

Place in a pan with enough water to cover them, and a plat on top to stop them unravelling. Simmer gently for 30 minutes or so. Hey Presto.

Good as a finger buffet, or as a meze with other dishes.

But a good alternative is to fill them with either beef or lamb mince - cooked before assembly.

Some recipes also suggested fruit or sea food. Not sure about that.

Try serving with a little more olive oil and some harissa paste.

Χόρτα - Horta

Horta

FIND IT ON THE MENU AS Χόρτα, Horta

When faced with a Greek menu … it’s tempting to head for the names you recognise - such as Gyro, Greek Salad, Souvlaki or Moussaka. Nothing wrong with that, and you’ll always end up with a delicious dish.

But if you are feeling adventurous then you will be richly rewarded, sometimes by the most unassuming dishes.

A great favourite on Corfu, and across Greece in fact is Horta. It’s popular, not just because essentially it’s ‘Free Food’ but also because it’s actually quite good for you. It’s loaded with vitamins A, K and C, high in fibre and very low in calories. What’s not to love.

Drive around the island and you’ll inevitably see people parked in lay-bys, or roaming remote fields in search of the ingredients which essentially are - anything green you can eat. They may be herbs, they may be weeds, but if it’s edible then it’s fair game.

There are apparently around 300 different wild edible plants in Greece, and you’ll see a vast variety of them in supermarkets and local shops, though most look like lumps of greenery that are ready for composting. Which on reflection is a terrible waste, especially in these days of belt-tightening.

Two rules … once you have steamed them, and lumped them onto the dish … and added some tasty Olive Oil: Some taste better with lemon, and some are much better with vinegar. The sweet ones are best with the lemon, leaving the bitter ones longing for the vinegar. Best to have both sitting on the table and trying as you go.

Oh … another rule - Wash them well. (Cats) And then steam them lightly.

So … what is Horta, mainly?

Amaranth, Arugula - Rocket lettuce, Dock which we used to rub on our legs to sooth stingy nettle attacks.

Black Bryony - a sort of thin stalked asparagus; Borage, Bur Chervil, Chicory, Dandelion, Cress, Golden Thistle, Nettles, Purslane, Sow Thistle, Wild Fennel, Yellow Salsify,

To that list add Wild Garlic, Ox-Eye-Daisy, Pennywort, Chickweed. There’s one called ‘Jack by the Hedge’ too, which is a rival to the Wild Garlic.

Needless to say - it’s important to know what you are cooking.

If in doubt - leave it out.

λεμονάτες πατάτες - Lemon Roast Potatoes

Greek Lemon Potatoes.

Find it on the menu as λεμονάτες πατάτες - lemonátes patátes

A spectacularly tasty dish that can be eaten come rain or shine.

It’s very very simple … with a few tricks along the way.

In short …

• Peel, Halve and Parboil some roasting potatoes.

• Roll them in Olive Oil, then in Semolina and pop them into a pre-warmed roasting tin with some more olive oil.

• Cook until they are considering going brown.

• Add rough cut Garlic. Lots. Half a jug of Stock. The juice of a Lemon and some Oregano.

• Leave to cook… it’s sort of half boiling, half roasting. It becomes more roasting as the stock evaporates. Occasional flip the potatoes so they all get a bit of the liquor and a chance to brown.

• Serve the potatoes, and then spoon the liquid over the top of them.

They have a buttery/lemony/herby taste you get with eating snails. It’s supposed to me a side dish, but it deserves a starring role.

Find it on the menu as λεμονάτες πατάτες - lemonátes patátes

φασολάδα - Greek Bean Soup

Greek Bean Soup is sometimes regarded as Greece’s National dish.

It’s hearty, and full of flavour.

Find it on the menu as φασολάδα

This recipe calls for some Bacon which can be a bit pricey on the island, but any sausages or even chorizo will do.

Ingredients:

Standard pack of Cannellini beans - soaked overnight, then rinsed and boiled till just short of soft to the bite.

The rest of the ingredients are really to taste, depending on your likes/dislikes,

• Three rough chopped red onions.

• Half a dozen cloves of garlic.

• Two celery stalks, fine sliced.

• Passata.

• A Pinch of Smoked Paprika.

• Pepper to taste.

• Optionally I added some ‘cook’s bacon’ chunks which I pre cooked in the Air Fryer.

• A pint of broth made from Miso paste.

• Optionally some diced Carrot, though I did not. The dish is orange enough.

• Obligatory Oregano

For the method:

Fry the onions, garlic, and celery in large pan. Add the wet ingredients and seasoning.

Add the beans and simmer till it begins to thicken.

Add the bacon at the last minute.

Serve sprinkled with Feta and with some crusty bread.

χωριάτικη σαλάτα - Greek Salad

Find it on the menu as χωριάτικη σαλάτα

OK so … it has to be done.

Let’s get this out of the way. This is Corfu.

Greek Salad. Starring Feta Cheese.

Diced Cucumber.

Sliced raw red onion - not too much.

Chopped fresh tomatoes.

Dices of Feta.

Drizzled with full-throated Olive Oil.

And sprinkled with some dried Oregano.

Yum.

You’ll find it served everywhere. Traditionally with just a few ingredients, though if making it yourself, then you could add a little rocket leaves and some black olives.

One of our favourites is the Afros Taverna. (Αφρός Ταβέρνα)

You will be gratefully welcomed in, and seated. Just order a Greek Salad and a beer and you won’t be disappointed.

Ten minutes later — ten minutes spent gazing out over the astonishing blues of the Ionian sea, wondering at the height of the Albanian mountains, still perhaps smothered in a generous helping of snow — and you’ll be joined by a MASSIVE Greek Salad with a slab of Feta on top. The biggest I have every seen. They don’t dice the Feta. It’s usual to get a slab.

Be warned though … not everyone takes cards, or phone payments. Always keep a little bit of cash on you.

If you are lucky you may well get a little Ouso… which is:

1. The National Drink of Greece.

2. Is flavoured with Anise and Fennel.

3. Its name allegedly comes from a batch of the Tsipouro (local name) being sent to Marseille stamped with the marking Uso Massalia (for use in Marseille).

4. Greeks drink Ouso with ice and water - which makes it go cloudy. Add water first, then the ice.

5. Most Ouzo is ABV 80 Proof. Mayhem.

Hic!

Αρακάς κοκκινιστός - Peas in Oil

Find this on the Menu as Αρακάς κοκκινιστός

(Literally - Roasted Peas)

Sometimes something really simple can be really satisfying.

Cruising the shelves in the supermarkets, you’ll notice that peas in oil is big big in Corfu. And they are clearly given a starring role in a meal rather than pitching the best supporting vegetable angle you may be used too.

Which is sad, because we really like peas.

Yes, we know this probably makes us really boring.

But - heat up some olive oil in a pan, soften some chopped onion, stir in some garlic. After a couple of minutes add some frozen peas, along with a couple of tablespoons of chicken or veg stock. Cover and cook till the peas are tender. Squeeze over a little lemon juice before serving.

I think Corfu was channelling its Venetian heritage here as this seems quit a common recipe in Italy.

But … it matters not. We managed to get through an entire bowl of this, watching TV the other night.

History note: Peas originated from the eastern Mediterranean and have been consumed for millennia, though mainly as dried and soaked and cooked. The craze for Green Garden Peas didn’t come along till the 18th century.

Though marrowfat peas as a variety also date from about the same time, mushy peas - aka Yorkshire Caviar - didn’t appear regularly till the 1970s.

Not a lot of people know that.

You can wake up now.

φάβα - Fava

Find it on the menu as φάβα

Say Fava and instantly people think of Fava Beans - better known as Broad Beans - which are forever linked in our minds with Hannibal Lector in Silence of the Lambs where he carried out his evil deeds, to the accompaniment of ”Some fava beans and nice Chianti.”

Which is no reason not to enjoy them, and in fact one should - it’s a good source of manganese, copper, zinc, potassium, and are also good sources of iron and calcium. They are known to be good for boosting iron, lowering blood pressure, lowering cholesterol, What’s not to love.

Just to confuse matters though - Fava in Greece is not supposed to be made with Fava Beans. And you may also be wondering ‘what’s the difference between Hummus and Fava. Both good questions.

It’s in the ingredients.

Namely:

500g Yellow Split Peas.

3 Chopped Red Onions

3 Large cloves of Garlic, squidged

2 Lemons

100ml of Olive Oil

Thyme, Salt and Pepper.

Method:

Rinse the peas well in water. In a big pot, caramalise the onions in olive oil, add the garlic and thyme.

Add the peas and give it a good mix through. Add a litre of warm water and allow to simmer for about 45 minutes. You are aiming for a mushy mix.

Add in the juice of two lemons and mix well to make it a smooth puree.

Serve drizzled with Olive Oil, some black olives, some onion slices and more lemon juice.

Yes - We sprinkled dry roasted peanuts on top. That doesn’t make us bad people.

Does it?