If desired, lightly grate the orange peel. [Peel the orange.]
[Roll the peels into coils and secure with a toothpick.] Place the coils in a saucepan. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Drain. Repeat this process 2-3 times depending on how bitter you want the peels to be. (The more times the peels are boiled the less bitter they will be). Cover the coils with cold water. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Continue cooking for 6 minutes. Drain the peels and let dry.
Combine 720 ml of water, sugar and lemon juice in the saucepan. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Continue cooking for 5 minutes. At this point, you can [cut the rolls into strips] or leave them whole. Add the rolls to the syrup and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, cover, and let sit for 12 hours.
Bring the rolls and syrup to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Continue cooking until the syrup is thick, approximately 20-25 minutes. Put the peels in sterilized jars and store in a cool, dark place.
!! 92 Kythoni Xysto - Quince Preserve
Using a sharp knife, [peel, quarter and core the quince.] Reserve the peels and cores. In a saucepan, combine the peels and cores with 480 ml of water. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and continue cooking for 20 minutes.
[Grate the quince flesh] and place in a saucepan. Add 240 ml of water and set aside. (The quince will discolor a little, but it is not important). Strain the peels and reserve the liquid.
In a saucepan, combine the grated quince, the liquid, sugar, lemon [zest] and the cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil then simmer for 1 hour, stirring from time to time. Add more water if necessary. Stir in the lemon juice and remove from the heat. When the mixture has cooled, ladle it into sterilized jars and seal.
!! 93 Kotùpoulo Me Syka - Chicken with Figs
Preheat the oven to 180í C. Trim the chicken and then cut into serving portions. Combine the spices and salt in a bowl. Add the chicken and rub the spice mixture into it. Heat some oil in a frying pan and quickly fry the chicken for 1-2 minutes to seal in the juices.
Arrange the chicken in the casserole dish. Pour the wine into the spice bowl. Mix well then pour over the chicken. Add the liquid from the frying pan. Add the onion, garlic and bay leaves to the chicken. Cover the casserole and roast for 40 minutes.
Add the orange juice, orange [zest] and figs and continue roasting for an additional 20 minutes. The chicken should be very soft and almost falling from the bones.
!! 94 Easter Bread - Tsoureki Tou Paska
Dissolve the yeast in half of the warm milk, 50 g of flour and 1/2 tsp of caster sugar. Let rest for 10 minutes. Combine the rest of the flour, the salt and nutmeg, and then sift into a large bowl. Make a well in the center then add the yeast mixture, 2 eggs, the egg yolk, the rest of the caster sugar and the grated lemon rind. Start mixing. When the dough begins to form, slowly add the melted butter (reserve a little of the melted butter for later). Knead the dough for 10 minutes. Add more flour if the dough is too sticky. Shape the dough into a ball and brush with melted butter. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and leave in a warm place until it has doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
On a floured work surface, [punch the dough down] and then knead it for 3 minutes. Brush with butter, cover with a kitchen towel and let rise for 30 minutes.
On a floured work surface, [punch the dough down] again and then knead it for 3 minutes.
Divide the dough into 3 equal portions. [Roll each piece] into a 30-35 cm long rope. [Braid the 3 ropes] and then press the ends together to form a circle. Grease a baking tray or kugelhopf mold with butter then [add the braid.] Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and leave in a warm place for about 1 1/2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 190í C. Beat the remaining egg and brush it onto the bread. Sprinkle with sugar or sesame seeds and bake for 35-40 minutes.
!! 95 Baked Figs - Sykan Sto Fournou
Preheat the oven to 180í C. Combine the honey, orange juice and brandy in a bowl. Mix well. With a small knife, score an "X" on the bottom (fat end) of each fig. Arrange the figs in an heat-proof serving dish. Add the bay leaves, cinnamon and orange [zest]. Slowly add the wine until the cooking liquid is 1-2 cm deep. Bake the figs, basting occasionally, for 25 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
!! 96 Shrimp and Feta in a Horn of Plenty
[Prepare the phyllo horn:]
Preheat the oven to 180í C. Place the phyllo dough on a towel and cover with a damp towel. Take one sheet of phyllo, brush with butter, and cut lengthwise into 3 rectangles. Then cut each rectangle in half, from one corner to its opposite corner, forming 2 triangles. Roll the phyllo sheet around a tube. Repeat the process with the remaining phyllo sheets. Bake for 12-14 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool before unmolding.
Place the eggplant in a colander and sprinkle with salt. Leave for 15 minutes. Shell and devein the shrimp. Core and dice the pepper into 1 x 1 cm pieces. Peel and dice the onion into 1 x 1 cm pieces. [Dice the eggplant] into 1 x 1 x 1 cm cubes. Dice the zucchini into 1 x 1 x 1 cm cubes. Peel and thinly slice the garlic clove. Trim the mushrooms. Dice the feta. Wash and dry the eggplant cubes.
Combine half of the olive oil, the lemon juice or balsamic vinegar, salt and freshly ground pepper in a jar. Shake well.
Heat the remaining olive oil and a bay leaf. Cook the eggplant until brown and soft. SautÄ the rest of the vegetables, one by one, until they are al dente. Add some olive oil while cooking if the pan becomes too dry. While the garlic is cooking, add the shrimp and sautÄ for 2 minutes. Remove the shrimp and garlic from the pan. Add all of the vegetables to the pan and cook gently for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and shrimp and cook for 3 minutes and then add the feta and dill and continue cooking for 2 minutes without stirring.
Shake the contents of the jar and then pour over the hot dish and gently mix. Carefully place some of the shrimp and vegetables in the horn. Arrange the rest of the shrimp and vegetables around the horn and serve.
!! 97 Sambusak
Prepare the dough:
Boil the water. Turn off the heat and add the butter and oil. Whisk until dissolved (can be done with an electric mixer).
Sift the flour with the baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center and pour in the butter and oil mixture. Knead the dough until it becomes smooth and elastic. Do not over-knead. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.
Prepare the cheese stuffing:
Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl and mix well.
Prepare the spinach stuffing:
Wash and chop the spinach. Fry the onion in olive oil until golden brown. Add the spinach and the allspice and then fry until it becomes soft and the liquid is almost gone. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper and let cool.
[Prepare the sambusak:]
Preheat the oven to 180í C. Roll out the dough into a very thin sheet. Using a glass or cookie cutters, cut the dough into circles. Place a teaspoon of stuffing in the center of the circle. Fold in half. Using your fingers, press the edges together to seal the stuffing inside the sambusak. Place on an oiled baking dish. Glaze the sambusak with beaten egg. Sprinkle with grated cheese, sesame seeds or black cumin. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Serve hot or cold
You can also fry the sambusak, drain on a paper towel and serve hot.
!! 98 Red Lentil Soup
[Sort] and wash the lentils. Combine the lentils and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Cover the saucepan and simmer for 30 minutes. While the lentils are simmering, peel the onions. After 30 minutes, add the onions to the lentils and continue simmering until soft, approximately 30 minutes. When the lentils are soft, remove the onions and reserve.
Push the lentils through a sieve or [run them through a food processor.] Pour the purÄed lentils back into the saucepan. Bring the soup to a boil. Add butter, cumin and the onions. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Serve the soup hot with hard boiled eggs, boiled potatoes, the cooked onions, bread and lemon wedges as a main course, a light meal, or as an appetizer.
!! 99 Ta'amia
Soak the beans for 12 hours, changing the water at least twice. Drain. Combine the beans with the rest of the ingredients in a food processor. Work into a smooth purÄe (add 1-3 tbs of flour if the mixture is too soft). Let the mixture rest for 30 minutes.
[Using a special tool] or [your hands], shape the mixture into small rissoles. Heat the oil and deep fry the ta'amia until golden brown. [Remove from the oil] and leave on paper towels to drain. Serve with tahini and vegetables or in pita bread.
!! 100 Fried Sardines with Garlic
Combine the garlic, parsley and mint. Mix well. Heat the oil to 180í C. [Stuff the belly of each fish] with some of the parsley mixture. Mix some flour with salt and pepper and coat the fish. Fry the fish until they are golden and crispy, approximately 5 minutes. Serve hot or cold with lemon and fresh parsley.
