The ancient Greeks are said to have invented pie pastry as we know it today. In fact, in Aristophanes’ plays (5th century BC), there are references to small filled pastries. Tiropita, pronounced tee-roh-pee-tah, means cheese pie in Greek, and Skopelos Island in the Northern Sporades, is well known for a spiral variation of the dish. Usually fried as opposed to baked, it consists of a crisp phyllo pastry with a white cheesy centre (feta plus one other white cheese). Filling a dinner plate, the Skopelos Tiropita is the ideal starter, vegetarian main or side dish.
t = teaspoon
T = tablespoon
Ingredients
Dough
1 kg all-purpose (plain white) flour
2 cups extra virgin olive oil
1 T vinegar
1 t sugar
2 t salt
1 litre water (use as much as you require to make a firm dough that doesn’t stick when you roll it out)
Oil for frying
Filling
1 kg feta
1.2 kg anthotyro or mizithra (sweeter white cheese to balance out the saltiness of the feta)
Method
Sift the flour into a mixing bowl.
Pour in the vinegar.
Add the salt.
Knead slowly by hand, gradually adding water.
As the dough starts to form, add the olive oil and knead until firm (neither too hard nor too soft).
Cover with cling film so that it doesn’t form a crust.
Leave to rest in a cool place for at least an hour.
Roll out the dough to a thin consistency in a rectangle approximately 1 metre in length.
Crumble the cheeses and spread in a strip approxi
mately 1/3 along the length of the pastry surface.
Roll the dough into a cigar-shaped cylinder and seal the ends.
Twist into a snail-like coil.
Heat the frying oil in a large frying pan.
Before the oil reaches boiling point gently position the spiral pie in the oil.
Pre-boiling point placement prevents the pie from puffing up too quickly (prevents the pastry from cracking).
Fry for 1.5 to 2 minutes on either side (total of 3 to 4 minutes) until crispy and golden brown.
Remove from the pan, drain on paper towel, allow to cool slightly and serve.
Practically everywhere in Greece, the mainland and the islands you’re liable to find the fabulous four Greeks dips: tzatziki, taramosalata, melitzanosalata, and skordalia. These are part of any classic Greek Meze (appetizers) and, even if you’re a picky eater, you’re liable to develop a craving for one or more soon after you’ve lost your holiday tan and misplaced your evil eye souvenir. So we thought we’d revive your taste buds and memories of your Mediterranean island experience and offer up the recipes for each.
t = teaspoon
T = Tablespoon
Melitzanosalata (eggplant)
Ingredients
1 large eggplant
300 ml Greek yoghurt
125 ml extra virgin olive oil
4 t white wine vinegar (or 6 t lemon juice)
2-3 cloves garlic, finely crushed
Pinch (or more) of salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Method
Char grill the eggplant on the grill or on an open flame on a braai (barbecue) until it turns soft and black. Alternatively, make a few fairly deep cuts in the skin and bake it whole in a hot oven until the skin is semi-burned and cracks when you touch it with your fingers. This dip is meant to have a special smoked taste.
Leave to cool and drain on paper towel.
Cut it lengthways, scoop out the pulpy flesh, place the flesh in a colander and sprinkle with salt. The salt will remove some of the bitterness from the eggplant.
Dice the pulp and mash with a fork.
Add the yoghurt and crushed garlic.
Stir in a little olive oil, then a little lemon juice (or white wine vinegar) and repeat the process while mashing and mixing.
Serve chilled.
Skordalia (potato and garlic)
Ingredients
3 medium potatoes
2-3 cloves garlic, finely crushed
125 ml extra virgin olive oil
5 T lemon juice (or 3 T white wine vinegar)
Pinch (or more) of salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Method
Place potatoes in a saucepan, cover with water, season with salt and boil until soft.
Drain the potatoes and allow to cool.
Remove the skins and discard.
Chop the potatoes and place them in a food processor together with the garlic, lemon juice (or white wine vinegar), salt and black pepper.
Blend and slowly add the olive oil, 1 T at a time until the oil is absorbed.
Serve at room temperature.
Taramosalata or tarama (Fish Roe caviar)
Ingredients
2 T Carp Roe caviar
1 T onion, chopped
3 T lemon juice (or 1-2 T white wine vinegar)
125 ml olive oil
4 slices dry white bread with crusts removed
Method
Tear bread into small pieces and soften by soaking briefly in water. Squeeze out the excess water and set aside.
Place chopped onion, lemon juice (or white wine vinegar), and ½ the olive oil in a food processor and blend.
Add the bread and the remaining olive oil and blend again.
Serve chilled.
Tzatsiki (yoghurt, cucumber and garlic)
Ingredients
1 English cucumber (more for size than anything else)
100 ml extra virgin olive oil
300 g full fat yoghurt (Greek of course)
2-3 cloves garlic, finely crushed
1 t white wine vinegar (or 2 t lemon juice)
½ t dill or mint, finely chopped
A pinch (or more) salt
Method
Remove the skin of the cucumber. Remove and discard the seeds, and grate what’s left.
Place the grated bits in a colander and sprinkle with salt to drain some of the fluids. Pat dry with a towel.
Put all the ingredients in a bowl and fold them together.
Serve chilled.
Naturally, there are variations to all of the above recipes and you should experiment to find what works for you.
