Greek Recipes

Kakavia

Ever since the time of the ancient Greeks, fishermen have been making this soup with leftover fish from their catch. Said to be the humble predecessor of bouillabaisse, it almost certainly traveled to Marseilles when the ancient Greeks colonized the south of France. Optional extras may include tomatoes, lemon zest, saffron stale bread and rice. Enjoy this traditional Greek Fish Soup recipe!

Ingredients:

6 shallots or baby onions, peeled and halved
4 large potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 zucchini, trimmed and roughly chopped
1 stalk celery with the tops, sliced and chopped
3 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 lb selection of firm fish like scorpion fish, rock cod, snapper, monkfish, mullet, bream
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Juice of 1 1/2 lemons

Preparation:

Place the vegetables and parsley in a large saucepan. Cover with water and boil over medium heat for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, clean and gut the fish. If small leave whole, otherwise cut into fillets. Place the fish carefully on top of the vegetables, reduce the heat and cook for another 10 to 15 minutes until the fish and vegetables are cooked.

Carefully remove the fish and vegetables and set aside. Strain the stock and return it to the pot. De-bone the fish and remove the heads. Return the de-boned fish and vegetables back into the strained stock, and season with salt and pepper. Bring back to a boil, then simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.

Place fish and vegetables in soup bowls and pour the broth over. Squeeze lemon juice into each bowl and serve with toasted bread.

Serves 4 to 6

Sardeles sto Fourno

This easy to prepare Greek recipe is equally good hot or cold!

Ingredients:

1 lb fresh sardines, washed, cleaned and butterflied
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh marjoram
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350F. Layer the sardines in a shallow baking dish, sprinkling the garlic, pepper strips, marjoram, parsley and seasonings between the layers. Drizzle with the olive oil and bake for 20 minutes. Serve hot or cold.

Serves 4 to 6

Garides Saganaki – Shrimp Saganaki

This classic Greek dish of baked prawns is found in the fish tavernas of Athens, especially around Piraeus. This is one of my favorite Greek recipes!

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and diced
4 tomatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
1 tsp tomato paste
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
8 large raw prawns, cleaned and deveined with tail shells left intact
6 oz feta cheese
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 400F. Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet. Add the onion and garlic and saute for 5 minutes or until softened. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the prawns and cook for 5 minutes more. Scatter the feta on top and bake for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve.

Serves 4 to 6