SKORDALIA/ SKORTHALIA (Greek Potato - Garlic Sauce)

The Greek sauce that's named skordalia (from the word skordo, σκόρδο, meaning garlic) is a thick sauce somewhat similar to aioli. It's made with garlic, olive oil and some type of bulking agent such as potatoes, walnuts, almonds or bread. The bulking ingredients vary by locality, but the garlic itself is always present.
Skordalia is a favourite accompaniment to salt cod (bakaliaros), and other types of fish. It's also served with fried or boiled vegetables. It's tantalizing and delicious, but beware: the amount of garlic used is plentiful, so don't eat skordalia if you're planning a romantic tête-à-tête after dinner. My maternal grandmother, as I have often been told, always made her skordalia by using walnuts to bulk it up. However, the most popular version is made with potatoes. I make my potato skordalia by using lemon plus two types of vinegar: white balsamic and white wine. This acidic combination lends a fruity delectable taste that elevates the humble skordalia to a whole other level. Here's the recipe:

 Ingredients:

•  3 potatoes (should add up to little more than a pound)
•  2 cloves garlic, chopped 
•  1/2 cup olive oil
•  juice of one lemon
•  2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
•  ground black pepper to taste
• salt is optional
• Parsley, well chopped, to sprinkle on top
• One scallion sliced very thinly to sprinkle on top (optional)

Directions:

• Peel the potatoes cut them into pieces and place them in a saucepan. Cover them with water, and boil them until soft. Drain but reserve some of the water to use if necessary.
•  Mash the potatoes by hand. 
• In a food processor puree the garlic. 
• FLASHBACK: today most everyone uses a food processor, but I remember as a child watching an aunt prepare garlic for skordalia by mashing it up with a pestle in her beautiful marble mortar. I was completely fascinated and I wanted that mortar and pestle for my toy box! She didn't let me play with it even though she was otherwise very kind ... Well, flashbacks are fun! 
• To the processor, add the oil, vinegar and lemon juice. Mix it well. 
• Slowly pour the garlic/oil mixture onto the potatoes, mixing all the while. 
• The skordalia should be thick and soft. If it is too lumpy add some of the reserved water and mix to soften it.
• Season with pepper as needed. 
• Skordalia should have a garlicky taste. Use as much garlic as you are comfortable using. No more and no less. 

PAN SEARED HALIBUT WITH SKORDALIA

March 25 is an important day in Greece, a double holiday with national plus religious significance. Orthodox Christians celebrate the Annunciation of the Theotokos, the day that the Archangel Gabriel announced to the Theotokos that she was to bear a child, and wouldn't you know it, Christ's birth followed exactly nine months later, on December 25! Gabriel knew what he was talking about, right? I've never heard of a gynaecologist who could predict a delivery day with such certainty ... 


Okay, I am back. Suddenly, I was hit by lightning, and I have no idea why or how because I am indoors. How did lightning get to me? I am mostly fine, I had to reboot my computer, and my hair is a bit singed and smoking but I'm not too concerned because I'll use the smoke and stuff as a fashion statement.  

Anyway, in the year 1821, on Annunciation Day, a prominent bishop of the Peloponnese named Germanos, proclaimed the beginning of the struggle for Greek independence. Since the fall of Constantinople in 1453, Greece had been stifling under the occupation of the Ottoman empire. A revolution began in 1821 and in 1832 Greece was recognized as an independent nation! 

Bishop Germanos is depicted in the centre. The painting is "Epanastasis" (Revolution), painted by Theodoros Vryzakis. One of my favourites of his is "Farewell at Sounio," seen below.

March 25 is and has been for Greeks a day of parades and great national feeling, and also a day of religious devotion and fasting. In Greece, religion and tradition pretty much regulate what will be placed on the table for dinner. On March 25, most Greeks will eat some type of seafood accompanied by skordalia, a garlicky potato dish. Today at my house, halibut is on the menu. All of us love its firm texture and its delicately sweet flavour. In cooking halibut, I've learned not to let it dry out. This is important as the fish contains little oil of its own, and can easily become tough if overcooked.

My favourite way of preparing it is to quickly pan sear it. One can play with a lot of sauces and spices while pan searing, but for today's holiday, considering that we fast, we'll cook it plain. Then we'll serve it with a bit of skordalia and a nice tomato salad.


Ingredients:

1. 4 halibut fillets, about 6 ounces each
2. Salt and pepper to taste
3. Lemon juice to taste
4. Flour for dusting the fish
5. 3 tablespoons olive oil
6. 3 tablespoons butter

Directions:

• Sprinkle the halibut with some lemon juice and season it with salt and pepper. Dust both sides with flour, then shake off the excess flour.
• Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pan. When the oil starts to smoke faintly, add the halibut. Let it cook on medium high for three to four minutes, until the seared side has turned dark golden brown.
• Turn the fillets over carefully, and lower the heat to medium. Cook for another four minutes or until the internal temperature of the fish reaches 120° F. Check by inserting a cooking thermometer into the thickest part of the fillet.
• Add the butter to the pan and swirl. Don't let it burn. Using a spoon baste the fish with the butter, cooking for another minute.
• Transfer the halibut to a serving platter and let it rest for a couple of minutes before serving.

MASTIC, MASTIC GUM, MASTIC FLAVORING & MASTIC TREE TEARS FROM CHIOS

A lovely mastic grove at Chios Island.

Mastic is harvested from the sap of the broadleaf evergreen mastic tree. This tree is endemic to the Greek island of Chios (birthplace of the poet Homer), and it has been cultivated there in large numbers since antiquity. Its crop is valued internationally, and for that reason, it has made the island of Chios famous. Homer and mastic: it doesn't get any better!  

Today mastic is used in folk medicine preparations and more importantly as a flavouring in food and spirits. It is also an ingredient in Chrism or Myrrh, the consecrated oil used by the Orthodox, Roman, and Anglican churches. 

Mastic is sold in small jars.

To harvest mastic, incisions are made in the bark of the trunk and branches of the tree. From these incisions, a resin begins to appear. It is pea-sized, globular and translucent, and it is commonly referred to as “tears.” As the resin begins to fall to the ground the tree is said to be “weeping.”

The resin really does look like tears!

Below is a photograph of an older mastic tree. The expertly placed cuts in its trunk are visible in the closeup of the photo.

Before the mastic tears are collected, cleaned and dried, the ground around the tree is must be prepared: It's cleared, smoothed and covered with calcium carbonate, CaCO3.

Here a harvester is scoring the trunk of a mastic tree. The harvester must be covered with clean clothing from head to toe so that no impurities such as hair or sweat fall on the white soil surrounding the tree. 

Calcium carbonate has multiple uses. It's used as an antacid and as a calcium dietary supplement. In the case of mastic harvesting, it's spread on the soil to help the mastic resin solidify when it falls to the ground. CaCO3 is inert and doesn't affect the properties of the resin. Furthermore, it must be used because its white colour preserves the clarity of the resin. If the soil is on the dark side, then the resin itself turns dark and is not marketable. 

Mastic for flavouring is sold in airtight containers that contain small pieces of mastic tears. Before using them in recipes these tears must be pulverized into powder form. To make powdered mastic, a mortar and pestle are used to pound the resin. It is easier to smash it by adding a little sugar or salt. Mastic flavour is slightly sweet and reminiscent of cedar. 

Historically one of the more popular uses of mastic was to chew it in order to freshen the breath. Thus, it was given the name mastic, which derives from a Greek verb meaning to chew. The English verb masticate derives from the same root, and the Greek word for chewing gum is “mastiha.”

As a young child growing up in Greece, I remember that I could buy a small package of about 3 pieces of "mastiha from Chios" for the cost of half a drachma, which back then amounted to less than a U.S. penny. I could afford it better than the tiny box of minty chicklets which cost one whole drachma. So I would chew my gum from Chios, carefully at first because its texture was hard at the outset. Soon it would take on a gummy consistency and it would release its distinct freshening flavour which would last for a good half hour. Then it would be time to discard it and buy some more. Alas, I gave up chewing it when I discovered bubble gum!

Mastic gum flavouring can be purchased locally in speciality Greek or Middle Eastern stores or it can be gotten through the internet.

A close up of the mastic tears found inside the bottle. Each tear has to be pulverised before it can be used. Use a mortar and pestle and remember that mastic flavour is strong, therefore be careful about how much of it to use. 

Here's some mastic placed next to its frequent companion, mahlepi. The two flavourings are a popular duo in recipes of the Greek Easter bread known as Tsoureki.

MAHLEPI

Mahlepi is derived from the St Lucie Cherry tree. 

What wonderful blossoms! They have the aroma of mahlepi, sweetly fragrant. 

Mahlepi has been widely used throughout the Mediterranean for centuries to flavour breads, biscuits, and less sweet cakes and pastries. In Greece, mahlepi is used for holiday desserts such as tsoureki and other egg based yeast cakes. It's an unusual and fragrant spice made from the kernels of the black cherry tree Prunus mahaleb, which grows throughout the Mediterranean and Middle East.

The cherry stones are cracked and the kernels are extracted, dried, and sold as mahlepi. Before using, the kernels must be ground to a powder either with a mortar and pestle or with a coffee grinder. The flavour of mahlepi is a combination of almond and cherry, and it gives a sweet nutty tone to the desserts it flavours. It can be found in Greek or Middle Eastern stores where it is available both whole or ground. However, as it quickly deteriorates once ground, it is preferable to purchase whole and grind the kernels when needed. Store it in airtight containers. Tip: for a subtle note add one teaspoon of ground mahlepi to pastry for fresh fruit flans. Try adding a bit of mahlepi to rice pudding.

The gorgeous trunk of the St Lucie cherry tree!

The measuring spoons hold the tiny kernels that reside inside the stones of the St Lucie cherry tree. The stones are cracked and the kernels are extracted and dried. They are then sold as mahlepi. As seen in the top measuring spoon, the kernels are pulverised before they can be used in recipe preparation. Next to the mahlepi is a bottle of mastic. Mastic flavouring frequently accompanies mahlepi, especially when making tsoureki, the Greek Easter bread.

TSOUREKI or GREEK EASTER BREAD

This tsoureki bread can be whipped up at Easter or at any time of the year. Give it a try. It's not difficult to make at all. You just need a free afternoon. The recipe makes a very fragrant and tasty tsoureki. I guarantee that you will be overjoyed with the way it tastes! Plus, there is no kneading by hand, as is the traditional way. Here, the stand mixer takes over this job. 
There are lots of recipes for tsoureki out there ...  This one makes a brioche tasting type of dough, but it's a really fragrant brioche we're talking about!
Other than Easter, when tsoureki is usually served with coffee at the end of the holiday meal, this bread can be eaten year-round as a snack or for breakfast. Try it toasted with some orange marmalade on top.

Ingredients:

3 packets of active dry yeast (in the US, one packet contains 7 grams of active dry yeast) 
1/2 cup lukewarm water 

2 tablespoons sugar for the yeast 

1 to 1 and 1/4 cups sugar for the dough

4 large eggs 
1 cup milk, lukewarm
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled 

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled, reserved to be used at the end of kneading.

2 teaspoons ground mahlepi see note

1 teaspoons vanilla extract

rind from 1 large lemon

rind from 1 large orange 

1 mastic tear see note

7 to 8 cups bread flour, plus more flour if needed for a light dusting of your work area.

1 teaspoon salt 
parchment paper for the pans

1 egg yolk, beaten and mixed with 1 tablespoon milk and 1 tablespoon of sugar to make an egg wash for topping

Sliced almonds and/or sesame seeds to be used for topping

Directions:

• All the ingredients must be at room temperature.
• Grind up the mahlepi seeds to give you two teaspoons of ground up mahlepi.
• Grind the mastic tear. Some recipes call for more mastic but this recipe calls for lots of flavourings, therefore, one mastic tear will suffice. Well ... okay, you can use the largest mastic tear in the jar! 
• Mix the sugar with all the citrus zest, the mahlepi and the mastic.
• Reserve 2 tablespoons of flour out of the total amount of flour the recipe calls for.
• In a medium-sized bowl mix the yeast with the warm water. 
• Add the reserved 2 tablespoons of flour and the 2 tablespoons of sugar. 
• Stir, then let stand in a warm place until the mixture bubbles and foams and begins to rise, about 15 minutes. The mixture must rise, which is an indication that the yeast is still active. If the mixture doesn't rise, the dough will not rise. C
• In the bowl of an electric mixer and using the paddle attachment, beat the eggs. 
• Add the sugar with its flavourings; mixing them into the sugar distributes them evenly.
• Add the milk.
• Add the salt.
• Add 10 tablespoons of the melted butter. 
• Add the vanilla  
• Stir in the yeast mixture.
• Keep beating at low speed until incorporated. 
• From now on, you will need to use the dough hook with your electric mixer, so go ahead and change to it.  
• Add the flour, one cup at a time, beating well at low speed after each addition. Keep scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. 
• Gradually a dough will begin to develop which will be sticky. 
• Keep beating on low, adding small portions of your flour just until the dough stops clinging to the sides of the bowl. 
• The dough should be soft and really pliable. 
• Remove the dough from the mixer and place it in a large bowl. Pour the last four tablespoons of butter over it and knead gently. Form the dough into a round shape.
• Cover the bowl (not the dough; cover the top of the bowl) with a piece of plastic wrap and one or two or three clean towels. Leave in a warm place free of drafts. 
• Let the dough rise until it has doubled in bulk, about 3 to 4 hours. 
• Yeast is the ingredient that makes tsoureki (or any type of bread) rise, and as yeast is a live thing it is sensitive. Outdoor conditions such as humidity, heat, or cold, influence the manner in which yeast behaves. Tsoureki is more temperamental than regular bread dough because tsoureki is an enriched bread, meaning it contains heavier ingredients such as eggs and butter. If it's cold outside, it might not rise as quickly. If it's too hot ... If it's humid.... well you get the picture. Just do your best and keep in mind that practice makes perfect.  A friend purchased an electric blanket which is reserved only for tsoureki duty. She covers her dough with this electric blanket so that it can rise at an optimal temperature. She reports that all her tsoureki troubles are now over and her dough rises beautifully.  
• This recipe, even though it requires patience during the rising, makes a very fragrant and tasty tsoureki. I guarantee that you will be overjoyed with the way this Easter bread tastes.
• Once the dough has risen prepare to roll it out. Don't punch it down. Gently separate the dough into 2 even sections. Take each section, cut it into 3 pieces, and roll each piece into a rope, each about 14 to 15 inches in length.
• Braid the ropes as though you are braiding long hair. Don't braid too tightly so that the tsoureki can bake evenly.
• You will get two Easter loaves, or you could separate the dough into smaller sections to get a third loaf. Baking time will vary according to the size of the loaves. 
• At this point preheat the oven to 350° F. 
• Place each braid on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper.  
• Cover with a towel and let rise for about an hour until it has doubled in bulk.
• Using a pastry brush, gently apply the egg wash and sprinkle with the almonds (or use sesame seeds for some of the loaves).
• Bake approximately 30 minutes until the tsoureki is golden in colour. Keep an eye on the oven because baking time varies with each oven.
• The tsoureki will be ready when the blade of a knife inserted into the centre of a loaf comes out clean. 
• Let the Easter bread cool for about 20 minutes to half an hour before slicing. 

Tsoureki can be stored in the refrigerator.  It can be eaten cold, at room temperature, or even toasted. You can even freeze some to have on hand later on.

Note: Information about mahlepi is found here.  

         Information about mastic is found here.    

   

BISCOTTI WITH PECANS AND ORANGE FLAVOR

These crunchy biscotti, flavoured with orange peel, are great to have with a cup of coffee or tea. What makes these different is their size. They are smaller in size than the average biscotti, which makes them a better choice if you are counting calories.

Ingredients:

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

the rind of one large orange

1 cup chopped pecans

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 & 1/2 cups flour

Directions:

• Beat the oil and the sugar for about 10 minutes, until they are well mixed.
• Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.
• Add the vanilla extract and orange rind and mix.
• Sift the flour with the baking powder.
• Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture. Add gradually, mixing well.
• Add the pecans and incorporate them into the mix.
• Place the dough in a storage bowl and keep in the refrigerator overnight.
• Remove from the refrigerator and shape into three or four small logs of similar size.
• Place on baking sheets lined with parchment paper and bake in a preheated 300° F oven for about 25-30 minutes. The biscotti should come out soft and light in colour.
• Allow to cool for about one hour
• Transfer each log onto a cutting board and cut with a sharp knife into 1/2 inch diagonal slices.
• Carefully arrange the sliced biscotti on baking sheets.
• Bake at 300° F for another 20 minutes or until the biscotti are golden in colour.
• Allow to cool and store in cookie tins.

LEEK AND POTATO SOUP

What's for dinner tonight? It's a chilly, rainy day in early March, so I thought a nice soup would be appropriate. With a salad and a few slices of good bread, maybe some feta cheese to end with, there we are, that should make a nice meal. The leeks are looking good, I have a few nice potatoes left, and I just need to run out and get some parsley and cream. I'll be making leek and potato soup. Be right back... This is going to be a quick trip to the market; the outdoors is looking winter-glum. Although it's March, snow is still piled high on our lawns, and I've started to feel that all our spring greenery will permanently remain underneath a cover of frozen soil. And yet, as I step outside, I look up between the naked branches of the oak tree and with surprise, I discover a hopeful blue colour in the sky. I stare at it with anticipation. Isn't it beautiful?

Dinner is on time. In my home, this is an anomaly. But a sparkling blue sky can bring about changes.

I should next describe how to make leek and potato soup. How about it?

First off, prepare the bouquet garni. Gather bay leaf, thyme, parsley, peppercorns and rosemary. Bind the garni safely between some leek leaves. The garni will bring a wonderful aroma to the soup. Now get to work.

Ingredients:

5 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 onion, finely chopped
4 stalks celery, finely chopped
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
4 leeks, well cleaned and sliced in thin strips. Use only the white and light green part of the leeks.
4 or 5 Yukon gold potatoes, enough to weigh 2 & 1/2 pounds, sliced
4 or 5 cups low sodium vegetable or chicken broth
1 cup milk, cream or half and half. I used half and half 
salt and pepper to taste
chopped chives 
bouquet garni made up of 1 bay leaf, 3 sprigs of fresh rosemary, 5 sprigs fresh thyme, 15-20 peppercorns. Wrap the bouquet with a few tender leek leaves and tie it with kitchen twine. You may need to make separate accommodations for the peppercorns, as they might slide out of the bouquet during cooking. A good option is to tie the peppercorns separately, inside a piece of coffee filter or cheesecloth.  

Directions:

• Clean and prepare the leeks for cooking. Cut off the root end and discard the rough green leaves. Save the white and light green part of the leek. Cut it in half lengthwise, and rinse each half several times under cold running water. This method ensures that the soil and sand that has remained between the leaves are washed off. Chop the leeks into thin slices.

• In a stockpot heat the olive oil. Add the onion, garlic, celery, parsley, and leeks. Simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the ingredients become soft. Make sure they are not browned. If necessary add about two tablespoons of water to keep them from browning.
• Add the potatoes, the bouquet garni and the broth. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat. Simmer for about 30 -35 minutes, until the potatoes are very tender. Discard the garni.
• Ladle half the soup out of the stock pan and reserve.
• Using an immersion blender puree the soup remaining in the stock pan.
• Return the reserved portion of soup to the stock pan. The soup will now be a nice mixture of chunky and pureed textures.
• On medium to low heat, warm the soup, then turn off the heat.
• Warm the half and half in the microwave. Slowly and while stirring pour it into the soup. 
• Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Ladle into soup plates and if desired sprinkle some chopped chives on top. 
• Serve while still hot.