| As I write this we are in the middle of carnival | | | | and serve topped with the raw finely chopped |
| weekend. It's big weekend here in Greece leading | | | | onion. |
| into Lent and is a time for a good deal of | | | | 4. Lettuce Salad. Quick & simple. Just finely |
| celebration. Following the main carnival weekend | | | | shred a couple of lettuces and toss with an olive |
| we have Kathari Deftera or 'Clean Monday' which | | | | oil and lemon juice dressing (two-thirds oil, one |
| is the official start of lent. On this day there are | | | | third juice) |
| specific foods that it is traditional to eat and most | | | | 5. Bean Salad Another simple one. 500g of dried |
| Greeks head out to a local taverna and order a | | | | white beans, soaked and boiled or - better still - 2 |
| table load. In fact, for the devout, it will pretty | | | | cans of white beans drained, 1 medium onion |
| much form their diet until Easter in 40 days time. | | | | finely chopped, oil & lemon dressing as |
| Lets run through the staples of a Clean Monday | | | | described in the lettuce salad, a couple of |
| menu and find out how to prepare some of these | | | | tablespoons of finely chopped flat-leaf parsley and |
| simple, tasty dishes. | | | | salt. Simply mix the ingredients together in a bowl |
| All food served today will be accompanied by a | | | | and add the dressing. |
| special bread called Lagana. This was once | | | | 6. Calamari. Cut the squid into rings (use the |
| unleavened but over the years the recipe has | | | | tentacles too) and dip into milk. Squeeze of |
| started to include a little yeast. It comes in the | | | | excess milk and toss in flour. Shake off excess |
| form of a large rectangle covered in sesame | | | | flour in a sieve and deep fry until golden. Throw |
| seeds and is most wonderful but very expensive | | | | on some salt and serve immediately while piping |
| to buy (bakers make a killing on Clean Monday!). | | | | hot with wedges of lemon. |
| The types of foods eaten on clean Monday are | | | | 7. Marinated Octopus. Not as difficult as it may |
| generally vegetable or seafood based. Even the | | | | seem, this one. Firstly, a word about octopi. Don't |
| normally ubiquitous feta cheese is absent. Here is | | | | fret about trying to find a fresh one in February. |
| a list of what you would typically find on the | | | | 99.99999% of Greeks will use a frozen one. |
| menu: | | | | Octopus does not lose any quality through |
| Taramasalata (a dip made with cod's roe), | | | | freezing. In fact, many would say that the |
| Skordalia (a dip made with garlic and potatoes), | | | | freezing process helps to tenderise the flesh. |
| marinated octopus, calamari (squid), fava dip, bean | | | | Anyway, find a frozen one and, if you can, find |
| salad, and lettuce salad. | | | | one from Morocco as they are the best. Here's |
| There are other dishes, like whitebait, prawns and | | | | what you will need: A 1.5 kilo octopus (thawed), 3 |
| cuttlefish for example, that may show up here | | | | cloves of garlic mashed or v. finely chopped, a |
| and there as well. But here we will concentrate on | | | | teaspoon of dried oregano, a cup of olive oil and |
| the staple dishes. | | | | half a cup of red wine vinegar, a sprinkling of |
| | | | freshly ground black pepper. Wash the octopus |
| 1. Taramasalata. You will need 100g red salted cod | | | | inside and out (it will already be prepared if you |
| roe, 300g boiled potatoes, 1 cup of olive oil, 1 | | | | buy a frozen one) and put into a large stockpot |
| small onion finely grated and the juice of 2 lemons. | | | | or saucepan. Many people say do not add water, |
| Simply mash the fish roe, onion and the potato | | | | but I put a just little in the bottom just to protect |
| together and drizzle in the olive oil and lemon juice | | | | the pan in the early stages of cooking. You could |
| gradually. Don't worry if you can't find the fish roe | | | | put a little white wine in if you wish...not much, a |
| where you live, you will no doubt find that there | | | | couple glugs, that's all. Then cook the octopus in |
| are commercially made versions of this salad | | | | its own juice over a low heat until it is tender to |
| available to buy. | | | | the point of a knife. Remove the octopus from |
| 2. Skordalia. You will need: a head of garlic, 200g | | | | the water and, when it has cooled, chop it into |
| boiled potatoes, half a cup of olive oil, a couple of | | | | small pieces. Take all of the other ingredients and |
| teaspoons of vinegar and a pinch of salt. Mash the | | | | put into a jar, put the lid on (do remember this) |
| garlic first then add the potato and vinegar. | | | | and shake vigorously. Use this dressing to pour |
| Continue mashing to a purée whilst | | | | over the octopus. This will keep well for several |
| dribbling in the olive oil a bit at a time. | | | | days in the fridge and tastes much nicer the day |
| 3. Fava Dip. For this you will need 500g fava | | | | after it has been made, once all of the flavours |
| beans (split red peas), 2 medium onions (1 | | | | have got to know one another. |
| quartered and 1 finely chopped), half a cup of | | | | Other vegetable dishes would include a shredded |
| olive oil, the juice of a lemon and salt & | | | | white cabbage and carrot salad dressed with oil |
| pepper. Wash & boil the fava beans, | | | | & lemon, vine leaves stuffed with a rice |
| skimming off any scum that forms on the top. | | | | mixture and horta (boiled mixed wild greens) |
| Add the quartered onion, salt & pepper and | | | | For a dessert, Greeks would favour 'Halva' a |
| half of the oil. Continue to simmer until the fava | | | | sweet made with semolina and nuts which is |
| had broken down to a porridge-like consistency. | | | | available in many different varieties. |
| Put the mixture through a food mill of processor | | | | Kalí Sarrakostí! (or have a good |
| to form puree. Sir in the rest of the lemon juice | | | | lent). |