F- in Greek Cooking

I have no trouble making moussaka, dolmades, spanakopita, or tzaziki, and turning phyllo into baklava, but my Greek dishes always turn out to be super greasy and heavy. Why?  I can’t seem make this stuff, I fail at it. How bad is it? I get horrible soggy goo all the time. On the surface of things, this a very simple, not complicated cuisine--all you need is an olive grove, fields filled with sheep, and swimming beautiful blue ocean of squid. Not coincidentally, all of these aren't nearby. 

Maybe you will have better luck than me with these recipes. 

Moussaka

1 large eggplant, about a pound sliced ¼ inch thick

2 tbsp olive oil

Meat Sauce

1 cup onion, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 lb ground lamb or beef

1 cup canned tomato, coarsely chopped

2 tbsp tomato paste

½ cup white wine

2 tsp parsley, chopped

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

salt and pepper to taste

Cream Sauce

¼ cup butter

¼ cup flour

2 cups milk

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated

1 egg, beaten

salt and pepper to taste

Directions 

Fry the eggplant slices in a skillet set over medium-high heat until softened and lightly golden on both sides, 2-3 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat and cook the onion until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, cook 1 minute. Add ground meat, turn heat to high, and cook until well browned. Drain any excess fat, then add remaining sauce ingredients, reduce heat to medium and cook about 20 minutes, until the sauce has thickened. Adjust seasoning.

Melt butter in a sauce pan over medium heat and stir in the flour; cook gently for 2 minutes. Add milk, stir to combine, turn heat to medium high and bring mixture to a boil, cook a further 2 minutes, remove from heat. Stir in nutmeg and 1 tbsp cheese, then cook mixture. When cool, stir in beaten egg into sauce and adjust seasoning to taste.

To assemble, lightly oil a 8x8 pan. Place eggplant in a layer to cover the bottom of the pan, top with meat sauce, repeat with a second layer of eggplant and sauce, then top with cream sauce and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Bake at 350F for 45-60 minutes. Let stand 10-15 minutes before cutting into squares to serve.

Serves 4-6.

Moussaka

Dolmades

8 oz preserved vine leaves

2tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 cup minced onion

¼ cup pine nuts

1 cup long grain rice

½ tsp ground allspice

1 tsp salt

1 ½ cups chicken stock or water

fresh ground black pepper to taste

2 tbsp mint, minced

4 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Directions 

Drain brine from leaves, rinse in cold water and then blanch in boiling water for 1 minute.

Place olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and sauté the onion until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the pine nuts, rice, allspice, 1 tsp salt, and the stock or water. Cover, turn the heat to medium-low and cook until the rice is somewhat tender but still quite al dente, about 10-12 minutes.

Cool in a large bowl, check the seasoning, and add the pepper, mint and half of the lemon juice.

Place one grape leaf shiny side down on a cutting board and put 1 tbsp mixture in the middle of the leaf. Fold over the stem end, then the side then roll up.

Place stuffed leaves in a roasting pan, add more stock or water to come halfway up the dolma, and cook covered over low heat for about 30 minutes.

Drain, serve at room temperature, sprinked with remaining lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil.

Makes about 30 dolmas.

Dolmades

Spanakopita

2 lb spinach

2 tbsp olive oil

1 cup onion, minced

½ cup scallion, minced

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1 lb feta cheese, crumbled

¼ cup fresh dill, minced

1 lb phyllo dough

8 oz melted butter

Directions 

Parboil the spinach until it wilts, then drain, squeeze dry, and chop.

Place olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, add the onion and scallion and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Remove to a bowl.

Add the spinach, feta cheese, dill and season to taste.

Roll in phyllo into triangle shape.

Bake in a pre-heated 350F oven from about 20 minutes, or until nicely browned.

Makes over 40 pieces.

Rolling Phyllo

Spanakopita

Tzaziki

1 cup plain yoghurt

1 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded and shredded

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp mint leaves, minced

salt and fresh ground black pepper

Directions

Drain the yoghurt for about 1 hour in a colander lined with cheesecloth. The yoghurt will lose about a third of its volume and be creamier and thickened.

Press the grated cucumber in a sieve to remove all excess moisture.

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, stir to combine, adjust the seasoning. Refrigerate for 1 hour to let flavours develop.

Serve a dip or condiment.

Serves 4.

 

Draining Yoghurt

Tzaziki