We start with a flambéed cheese dish – Saganaki. Followed by a main course of slow cooked leg of lamb served with rice and a Greek salad followed by a classic dessert of Ekmek.

Saganaki

2 small packages of Saganaki cheese (can be found in the cheese section of good grocery stores or in specialty shops) – 110 gm each
Flour as required
Oil as required

Dust the cheese lightly with the flour. Heat the oil in a large enough pan to hold both slices of cheese at the same time. As soon as the oil is smoking hot, add the cheese and cook on one side. Carefully flip and cook on the opposite side. Remove the cheese and place on plates

2 tablespoon Ouzo
Juice of 1 lemon
4 wedge of lemon

Add the Ouzo to the hot pan and flambé it. As soon as the flames start to die down, squeeze the lemon over the ouzo and pour over the top of the cheese. Garnish each plate with 2 lemon wedges and serve immediately

Slow cooked leg of lamb

For some people this might not be the best way to cook this cut of lamb but for us, it is perfect as this is the only way that I like my lamb well done. This is a dish that I can start in the morning and leave cooking all day. It is quick and easy to finish when you get home.

1 small leg of lamb
Pepper as required
1 tsp dried oregano
¼ cup red wine vinegar
Water as required

Season the leg of lamb well with the pepper and place in a roasting pan. Add the remaining ingredients and add just enough water to come almost to the top of the lamb. Cover with a tight fitting lid and place in a preheated 190°F oven. Cook for at least 6 – 8 hours. You can reduce the cooking time if you like but you will need to increase the oven temperature. For example if you only want to cook the meat for 1½ hours you will need an oven temperature of 350°F.

Remove the lamb from the broth and keep warm. Reduce the sauce to a quarter to a quarter of the original amount. Make a slurry of ¼ cup water and 2 tablespoons flour and whisk into the broth. Bring to a boil and cook until the raw flour taste has been cooked out, approximately 10 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Greek style Rice

1 cup long grain rice
¼ cup onion finely diced
¼ cup bell pepper, finely diced
1 tsp oil

Heat the oil in a pan over medium high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the rice, onion and pepper. Sauté just until the onion is translucent and the rice is coated in the oil.

Juice and zest of 1 lemon
2 cups good quality beef stock
¼ cup canned diced tomato

Add the stock, zest and juice and tomato to the rice and cover with a tight fitting lid. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Cook just until the rice is tender and has absorbed all of the liquid. Fluff well with a fork and top with 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley.

Marinated tomato and cucumber salad

2 large tomatoes, sliced
1 long cucumber sliced

Arrange the slices of tomato and cucumber alternatively and attractively on a serving platter.

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper as required

Mix the above together and pour over the arranged veggies. Let the salad marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature before serving.

1 small bunch basil, leaves removed from stems and leaves cut finely into thin strips (this is called a chiffonade)

Garnish the salad with the basil just before serving.

Ekmek

This is truly a classic Greek or middle Eastern dessert. One of the joys of this dessert is that it is best made the day before!

¼ package (115 gm) of Kataifi pastry (available in good grocery stores in the freezer section next to the phyllo pastry or at a specialty shop), thawed overnight in the refrigerator well covered
¼ cup butter, melted

If you are not familiar with this pastry it is simply finely shredded phyllo pastry.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a 10 inch square pan with parchment paper. Pull the pastry apart. This process can’t be rushed so take your time with it and work over a large bowl. Once the pastry is fully pulled apart, lightly press it into the prepared pan. Drizzle with the melted butter and place in the oven. Bake just until the pastry is golden brown, approximately 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool.

2 cups water
2 cups sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
Zest and juice of 1 lemon

While the pastry base is cooking, combine the water, sugar, cinnamon stick and lemon rind in a small pan over high heat. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer the syrup just until it has thickened up, approximately 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and remove the lemon rind and cinnamon stick from the syrup. Add the juice from the ½ lemon you removed the zest from, and pour over the cooling pastry base. Set aside to let the base completely cool.

4 egg yolks
⅓ cup sugar
4 tablespoons plain flour, sifted
1½ cups milk

Place the eggs, sugar and flour in a small bowl and whisk together just until well combined. Meanwhile heat the milk in a small pan over medium low heat just until the milk is hot. Do not let it boil.

While whisking, slowly add the hot milk to the egg mixture. Be sure to add the hot milk slowly as this will temper the eggs and prevent them from scrambling. Once half the milk has been added to the egg mixture, whisk the egg mixture back into the remaining milk.

Clean the bowl that had the egg mixture and then place a small sieve over the bowl. Return the pan with the milk mixture to the stove and place over medium high heat. Stirring with a heat resistant spatula heat the mixture just until it has thickened and small bubble begin to appear. Immediately pour the mixture into the sieve to stop the cooking and to ensure you have a smooth custard cream.

1 tsp good quality vanilla extract

Stir in the vanilla extract, press a sheet of cling wrap onto the top of the cooling custard and cool completely, refrigerated. Once fully cooled pour over top of the prepared base and return to the refrigerator. The dessert can be prepared to this stage 1 day before serving.

1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tablespoon icing sugar
1 cup slivered almonds toasted

To serve, whip the cream to soft peaks. Add the sugar and the vanilla and continue to whip until the cream holds its shape. Spread the whipped cream evenly over the completed dessert and then top with the toasted almonds. Cut the dessert into slices and serve immediately.

Cathie Hamilton
Certified Culinary Scientist
E-mail Cathie Hamilton

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