The Greek Salad. Leave it alone!

Do you know, if you 'Google around a bit' or engage in a bit of 'Binging' you quicky become aware of just how many Interpretations of the famous greek Salad there are out there.

Its quite amazing. there are ingredients I have never heard of - one American recipe called for either mayo (God forbid!) or something with the horrendous name of 'Miracle Whip'. Then its goes on to plonk a potato salad in the middle of what no Greek would recognise as a Greek salad.

In Greece the humble 'Horiatikisalata' - Peasant or village salad (what we all know as Greek Salad) is enshrined in law. Put too few olives or miss a few grams of feta and you could get a fine. No really. I think its the same if you put some other foreign ingredient too. Shifty taverna owners like sometimes to 'bulk' the salad out with cheap lettuce or white cabbage. Well, they are on a days outing to the magistrates court if they get discovered or complained about.

There is a good reason for this, in my opinion. Although I rarely stick to a recipe when cooking and I am one to suggest that sometimes 'traditional' can be improved upon and, why not? All traditions have to start somewhere. But in the case of the Greek salad, I will defend it to the hilt.

Why? Because its about as damn perfect a salad as you could hope for. Rarely for Greek cuisine, it has a dish which is up there with the greats; Nicoise and Caesar spring to mind. The uncommon way all the ingredients compliment each other is wonderful, right down to the juice left at the bottom of the bowl - a heady mix of tomato juices, bits of onion, little bits of feta, vinegar and, of course, Greek olive oil.



For the record, here's what should make a Greek Salad. Nothing left out, nothing added in: Cucumbers, tomatoes, sliced onion, sliced green pepper, black olives, feta cheese, oregano, a dribble of vinegar and some healthy glugs of the best olive oil you can find (Cretan, naturally).

Oh, and half a loaf of bread for the juices at the bottom!

Boureki - A Speciality of The Chania Region

Chania Boureki, essentially a potato, courgette & cheese pie, is a wonderful vegetarian dish which, if a taverna has it on offer, I find it hard to resist. Sadly, again, too few tavernas in Paleochora seem to make it on a regular basis probably as it takes a bit of time & effort to do properly but the time and effort are amply rewarded.

This is our recipe which doesn’t vary much from ‘traditional’ recipes I have seen latterly (as usual, I dissected the tastes with jenny and we made it up from there). I do confess to nicking the photo below (which I have given appropriate credits for) from a recipe book simply as I forgot to take my own photo the last time I made the dish. If anyone has a problem, I will remove the photo and add my own later.

Anyway. To business.

Before I get into the list of ingredients, you will need some pastry. I have added a traditional Greek simple pastry recipe here (without the shot of raki or red wine which many ask for) which you can use. The other options are 1) use your own pastry recipe 2) Ask your mum 3) Ask Google or 4) Save time and buy some ready-rolled frozen pastry for pies and tarts.

I use a deep rectangular baking tray internal dimensions 30cm x 22cm which gives 6 good portions. NOTE: When I make these dishes, I never really measure anything properly so how many potatoes/courgettes do I use? Difficult question as I never counted, so please don’t be cross with me if you are a potato or a bit of pastry spare at the end You could always make some kalitsounia with the pastry or even freeze it.

Pastry:

1kg All purpose flour

1 Tsp. Salt

2 Tbsp. Olive Oil

Water – add a bit at a time just enough so the dough doesn’t stick to you hands while kneading it.

Mix the ingredients and knead together until it becomes elastic and leave for 1 -2 hours covered with a clean damp tea towel.

The Pie filling.

5 or so medium sizes potatoes.

8 or so medium sized courgettes.

A handful of fresh mint finely chopped

500g of mizithra (soft Greek) cheese (250g Feta and 250g of Ricotta if you can’t get mizithra)

250g. Finely grated parmesan cheese (or kefalotiri if you can find it)

150ml Olive oil

3 eggs,

200ml Fresh milk

Salt & pepper

Sesame seeds

1kg Dried beans for blind baking

Baking paper

So….First the pastry. Roll two pieces a bit larger than the baking tray and about 5mm or less thick. Put the first piece of pastry into the baking tray which you will have already lightly oiled. Pick the pastry with a fork and then place some baking paper on top and put the beans in, spreading them evenly around

Place in the oven preheated to about 170 C for around 15 minutes. Take out, discard the paper & beans and put to one side.

Slice the potato and courgettes into 5mm thick slices. Place in a pan of boiling, salted water and blanch for 5 or 6 mins. then drain. The potato wants to be almost but not quite fully cooked.

Next place the potatoes, courgettes and mizithra cheese in layers on the pastry in the baking tray, adding a sprinkling of mint, parmesan, salt & pepper on each layer. When the pie is full, drizzle some olive oil over the layers then beat 2 of the eggs and add them to the milk and pour this mixture into the pie evenly too.

Then add the second piece of pastry as a lid. Trim it, brush it with the last beaten egg and sprinkle with loads of sesame seeds. Its a good idea now to score the pastry lid into the desired amount of portions.

Then put it back into the oven for 20 - 30 minutes or so or until the top is golden brown (keep checking it)

Carnivore’s option: If you just can’t bring yourself to eat a veggie dish (even one a lovely as this one) try this: Whisk together the juice of a lemon, some olive oil, oregano, chopped mint and a pinch of salt. Bash out 4 chicken breast fillets with your fist and marinate them for 10 mins in that marinade. Heat a ridged grill pan and grill them until done. Cut them up into strips and add as an extra layer or two n the boureki. Mmmmm….Grilled Chicken Boureki!

This recipe first appeared here: The Paleochora Site

Photo Credit: Boureki. Photo Copyright: Icons Editions, Chania