For the well-travelled, and those familiar with global cuisines, foie gras, compote, quinoa etc. are no longer unfamiliar words. Yet, somehow, we tend to opt for Italian, Japanese, Thai, Spanish food whenever dining out. But there is so much more to explore than these. Essentially Mediterranean with influences from the Middle East, Turkey and Italy, Greek cuisine has potential that’s untapped, at least in India. The cuisine revolves around vegetables, fresh fruits, nuts, fish, legumes, cereals and is extremely healthy. It is also very flavourful, because of the use of herbs and spices like dill, garlic, oregano, onion, bay leaves and mint. Iconic dishes in Greek cuisine include dolmades, souvlaki and moussaka. Mezedes, small dishes, similar to the Spanish tapas concept, is what a typical meal begins with. Taramosalata, a rich fishy salmon-coloured puree, or souvlakia, grilled pork on skewers or spanakopita, baked filo pastry stuffed with spinach and cheese are other favourites. These are served with tzatziki, a yogurt, cucumber, garlic and mint dip. Robust flavoured lamb or arni, is a must-have in the main course. This is because the terrain and the climate make the breeding of sheep and goat abundant, compared to cattle. Mousakka, prepared with lamb or beef, paidakia (lamb chops) and keftedes (meatballs) are well-liked meat dishes. Perhaps it is to cut down the effect of the meats that every meal in a Greek household starts with a Greek salad called horiatiki, doused in kalamata olive oil and topped with oregano, tomatoes, cucumber, onion and green pepper. As Greece is surrounded by the Aegean and Ionian Seas, fish and seafood are also central to the Greek diet. Soups include the traditional fasolada, a bean soup and psarosoupa, a fish soup. Octapodi or octopus is something Greeks enjoy and it is usually served grilled. As for desserts, from galactoboureko, a filo pastry with rich custard filling, to loukoumades, fried doughnuts drenched in honey and cinnamon, to ravani, a sweet cake made of semolina soaked in syrup, the Greeks relish them all!
Mini is a food writer
*** Banana wrapped red snapper fillet Recipe by owner and chef Mariketty Grana, ‘The Thalassa Pop Up’ at the Racecourse Olive, Mumbai
Ingredients 850 gm red snapper, deboned 100 gm green capsicum 150 gm tomato 100 gm onion, sliced 100 gm cucumber 20 gm oregano 20 gm garlic, finely chopped Salt, as per taste Black pepper, as per taste 100 gm zucchini 100 gm yellow pepper 100 gm broccoli 1 large egg 100 ml extra-virgin olive oil 50 gm lollo rosso lettuce 50 gm iceberg lettuce 1 meyers lemon 2 banana leaves
method Clean the fillet of fish, and portion into 5 pieces of 170 gm each. Dry well with paper towels. Gently heat the banana leaves over an open flame to soften it up. Cut each leaf double the size of each fillet. Preheat an oven to 250 C. Sprinkle olive oil on the bottom of each leaf, place the fillet skin side down and sprinkle a little oregano on top. Layer the tomatoes, onions and capsicum on top of each fillet and sprinkle salt, pepper, garlic and oregano. Fold the banana sheets over and cover with aluminum foil. Place in the oven and cook for 10-12 minutes until done. While the fish is cooking, make the mayonnaise. Separate the egg yolk from the white. Beat the egg yolk until thready, gently pour the olive oil whisking continuously until well combined. Season with salt and pepper. Slice the zucchini and yellow squash into batonnets of 1 inch by 0.2 inch and the broccoli into small florets. Gently blanch in hot water. Heat a pan and with a little olive oil, toss the zucchini, yellow squash and broccoli with the garlic. Season with salt, pepper and garlic. Clean the lollo rosso and iceberg and cut into large batonnets. Toss with olive oil and oregano and set aside. To plate, remove the fish from the foil and place on a plate. Place the salad mayonnaise next to it. Before serving, heat the vegetables and place, cut the banana leaf open, and serve with a slice of meyers lemon.
