Ouzo Mezedes, Part I

For my Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24: Greek Ouzo Tasting ... in New York, I wanted to "abide" by the traditional way of serving ouzo: alongside an array of mezedes to help ease down the strong aperitif. Htapodokeftedes (octopus croquettes) are a delicacy on the island of Kalymnos, from which my family hails. I've enjoyed htapodokeftedes on the island a number of times but never anywhere else. This was my first time making them at home, but definitely not my last ... these flavorful mezedes were much easier than they seem and a hit with our guests.

I also wanted to incorporate a version of a traditional Kalymnian salad called mirmizeli that combines bread rusks moistened with olive oil and tossed with fresh sliced tomato, crumbled goat cheese and thrimbi (similar to dried savory). As such, I made a more ouzo-friendly meze using crostini, tomato and goat cheese. There were also some savory olive oil biscotti sprinkled with black pepper and grated parmesan as well as a creamy taramosalata, great starters for a night of ouzo.

Kali Orexi ... and be sure to stay tuned for the next installment of recipes from our ouzo party!



Htapodokeftedes (Octopus Croquettes)

Makes about 25 to 30

3.5 to 4 lbs. octopus (I used about 7 smaller octopus), cleaned

3 scallions, 1 scallion left whole and 2 finely chopped

2 sprigs tarragon

Small bunch parsley, 2 sprigs left whole, the rest finely chopped

10 to 12 whole black peppercorns

1 loaf of stale bread, crusts removed

2 medium onions, finely chopped

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried Greek oregano
2 large eggs
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Bread crumbs as needed
1 cup all-purpose flour for dredging
Olive oil for frying

Place the cleaned octopus in a stock pot, cover with water, add the tarragon, 1 scallion, a couple sprigs of parsley and the peppercorns. If using smaller octopus they should turn out much more tender than a larger octopus, however, add a cork to the stockpot as well for good measure. Cover and simmer over low heat for about 35 to 40 minutes. Remove octopus from the pot and cool slightly.

Coarsely chop the octopus and place in a food processor. Pulse until the octopus is finely chopped. Remove the octopus to a large bowl. Cut the stale bread into large chunks, moisten with some water and squeeze with your hands to remove any excess liquid. Add it to the octopus along with the onions, garlic, remaining parsley, scallions, oregano and eggs. Mix well. Add some breadcrumbs until the mixture becomes firm enough to later be rolled into balls. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to four.

Heat about an inch of olive oil in a dutch oven until quite hot. Shape the octopus mixture into bite-size balls and roll lightly in the flour. Fry the octopus croquettes a few at a time, turning once, until evenly browned (a few minutes is all they need). Serve warm with wedges of lemon.

Taramosalata (Carp Roe Dip)

2 large potatoes, peeled and boiled

1 small onion, halved

3 heaping tablespoons carp roe

Juice of 1 lemon

Olive oil

Combine the potatoes, onion, carp roe and lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until pureed. With the motor running, begin adding the olive oil until desired consistency is achieved.

Olive Oil and Parmesan Biscotti

(Adapted from a recipe on Epicurious.com)

1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns, ground
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated
1/3 cup olive oil

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
1/2 cup whole milk

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, 3/4 cup cheese and a little over half the black pepper in a large bowl. Blend in oil and butter with a pastry blender or your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in the eggs, add the milk and continue stirring until a soft dough forms.

Halve the dough and using well-floured hands, form each piece into a log (about 12 inches long and 2 inches wide) and place on un-greased cookie sheets.

Sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/4 cup cheese and the ground pepper. Bake, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until the logs are pale golden and firm, about 35 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool about 15 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Carefully transfer logs to a cutting board and with a serrated knife cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Arrange slices, cut sides down, in 1 layer on baking sheets. Bake, turning over once, until golden and crisp, 35 to 45 minutes total. Cool and store in an airtight container for up to one week.

Crostini with Tomato and Goat Cheese

4 vine ripe tomatoes, sliced thin
Small log goat cheese, cut into 16 slices
16 crostini or wheat rusks

Olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Drizzle the crostini with a little olive oil. Top the crostini with the sliced goat cheese and then layer with the tomato slices. Drizzle a little more olive oil over each tomato-topped crostini and season with salt and pepper.

Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24: Greek Ouzo Tasting ... in New York

Spring just sneaked in while winter is making a reluctant exit and yet I am already thinking about summer and our trip to Greece. And what says summer in Greece better than a refreshing glass of ouzo? Actually, I wouldn’t know … as Greek as I have been raised to be, as often as I have visited Greece, I'd never just sat and sipped on a glass of ouzo with a spread of mouthwatering mezedes surrounding me. Go figure ...

So when the call for entries for the March Foodbuzz 24,24,24 event was made, I jumped at the chance to submit an idea for an ouzo tasting. I was ready for a taste of ouzo, for a taste of summer, for a taste of friends enjoying a refreshing drink all the while discussing anything, everything or nothing in particular; just enjoying each others’ company. I know, I know; it’s March in New York … clearly not July or August on a sun-drenched island in Greece. But trust me: good friends, great food and ouzo make for an ideal party no matter where you are.

So, pull up a chair, close your eyes and imagine yourself sitting in a seaside taverna bathed in the light of summer’s sun, surrounded by crystal-blue waters, enjoying a glass of crisp ouzo. Can you smell the salty sea? Can you hear the waves breaking onto the beach? Now pick up a fork and enjoy a taste of Greece (be it from New York) … some traditional Greek mezedes (and a few contemporary ones at that) to help ease down that fiery ouzo.

The Menu:

Ouzo On the Rocks

Eight Iron (Ouzo Cocktail with Banana Liqueur and Blue Curacao)
Olive Oil Biscotti/Crostini Topped with Goat Cheese and Tomato/ Taramosalata/Kalamata Olives in Balsamic Vinegar
Ouzo Marinated Shrimp Wrapped in Kataifi with a Spicy Remoulade

Potatoes Sauteed with Onions, Garlic, Paprika and Kalamata Olives

Mussels Saganaki
Manitaropita (Mushroom Pie)

Sardines with Tomato and Capers

Htapodokeftedes (Octopus Croquettes)
Chicken Kabobs

Ouzo-Soaked Berries

P.S. There was a beautiful fennel, walnut and pear salad made by my sister, roasted beets with crumbled goat cheese and a cider vinegar dressing and for dessert a yummy rice pudding made by my cousin who actually stenciled the Ouzo 12 logo in cinnamon on top! Unfortunately, we failed to take photos of any of those dishes--although some may surface as friends and family start uploading whatever shots they snapped that night. Oh, and stay tuned for some Ouzo trivia, what we found to be our favorites brands of ouzo, recipes for all the mezedes above, photos and more ...

Kathara Deutera (Clean Monday)

Kathara Deutera (Clean Monday) symbolizes the start of Lent for Orthodox Christians and is an important day in the Greek Orthodox faith. A day that prompts us all to eat simple, very traditional Greek fare, Kathara Deutera is meant to cleanse the body and spirit in preparation for Easter and is one of the many celebrations leading up to this important holiday that help us carry on precious customs and traditions passed down from generation to generation of Greeks found all around the world.

On this day, my family--as most Greek families--begins the Great Fast for Lent. As such, we enjoy simply prepared meals following Lenten restrictions: no meat, fish or any other products derived from animals with red blood (milk, cheese, butter, yogurt, eggs, etc.). A typical meal on Kathara Deutera will include such dishes as taramosalata, calamari, octopus or shellfish, salads, baked beans, rice-stuffed grapeleaves, lagana (a flatbread eaten only on this day) and halva (usually Macedonian Halva). We carry this fasting through this first week of Lent and, depending on the individual, fast either from everything described above or just from meat and fish for the full 40 days leading up to Easter.

I am excited to begin these posts and share with you all the traditions and customs we partake in. In essence, these spiritual days are highlighted by the food we eat and share with others and I look forward to writing about some of the dishes we enjoy through Lent and onto Easter: the Lazarakia we bake on the Saturday of Lazarus; the bakaliaro and skordalia (salt cod and garlic dip) we gratefully eat on Palm Sunday; the fried sweetbreads, fried liver and the traditional Patsa (tripe soup) we break the Fast with once the clock strikes midnight and Holy Saturday gives way to Easter Sunday; and finally the Mouri (oven-baked, stuffed whole lamb--a vibrant tradition of Kalymnos) we celebrate Easter Sunday with.

Here's a peek at some of the simple Lenten dishes our family will share today.
Kali Sarakosti!

(Note: I grew up not eating olive oil in dishes on Clean Monday, but as the years pass I've come to realize that the taramosalata or the lagana we purchased from stores likely were made with olive oil. One can easily substitute sunflower oil/margarine wherever possible.)

Taramosalata

4 tablespoons tarama (carp roe)

2 to 3 thick slices bread, soaked in a little water

1 large potato, boiled

1 small to medium onion

1 lemon, juiced

4 to 5 tablespoons oil (sunflower or olive oil)

Red wine vinegar, to taste

Combine tarama, bread, potato, onion and lemon in a food processor and pulse to puree. Slowly add the oil to create desired thickness. Stir in the vinegar to taste.

Gigantes Plaki
1 lb. large lima or butter beans, soaked in cold water for 12 hours (water changed once during soaking)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 onions, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
14 oz. chopped tomatoes
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups water or vegetable broth
1 small bunch parsley, roughly chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees. Heat the oil in a dutch oven and saute the onions until soft. Stir in the garlic and saute a minute more. Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste and water; bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer. Stir in parsley, salt and pepper to taste.

Cover the dutch oven and place in the oven. Check the beans occasionally and add water as needed. Cook for about an hour covered, then remove lid and cook the beans for 45 minutes to 1 hour more until soft and creamy (don't stir, the top should brown a little). Let cool and serve warm or at room temperature, drizzled with a little more olive oil and sprinkled with chopped parsley.

Roasted Red Peppers
6 large red bell peppers, rinsed and patted dry
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Olive oil
Vinegar
Black peppercorns

Line peppers up on a large baking sheet. Place under the broiler and cook until the skin is charred on all sides (keep the broiler slightly ajar so that the broiler flame works continuously).

Once cooked, place peppers in a large bowl and cover with a plate or plastic wrap until cooled. Once cooled, take peppers and gently pull at top stem to loosen. Slice pepper open if necessary to remove any seeds. Peel skin off pepper. Place in clean jars and fill with oil, vinegar, peppercorns and garlic slivers. Let marinate a day or so in the refrigerator and then serve.

Agginaropita (Artichoke Pie)
Recipe from Kalogiriki Mageiriki--Ieras Monis Tatarnis
10-12 artichokes, cleaned and boiled until just tender
6 scallions, roughly chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 small bunch parsley, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons dill, finely chopped
1/4 cup simigdali psilo (fine semolina)
1/4 cup and 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Salt and freshly ground pepper
8 sheets phyllo dough

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Oil an 8-inch square pyrex and set aside. Combine the artichokes, scallions, onion, parsley, dill, semolina and 4 tablespoons of oil in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

Begin layering the phyllo sheets, brushing each sheet with oil and allowing the phyllo to overhang each side in order to evenly fold over the top and cover the pie. Brush top sheets with oil as well, sprinkle with water and bake the pie until golden.