Written by Karen Watts
Photography Chris Watts
Kye’s visits are always full. Full of fabulous food, full of good wine and, most importantly, full of laughter. By the time we waved him off at Diagoras last Thursday all three of us were well and truly stuffed. Kye and I both suffer from the culinary fear that there will not be enough of everything at the table and that people will leave not quite as replete as they could be. Consequently we both over buy both food and wine, I mean, god forbid we should run out of anything before everyone is at bursting point and literally stuffed!
The day after our BBQ last week, Kye and I swapped roles and he produced the meat, while I provided the vegetable part of our meal.
All of this week’s recipes are Gluten Free.
Kye’s Parma Wrapped Stuffed Chicken Breast
Sweat off a small finely diced Red Onion, add some finely chopped Garlic and continue cooking gently in a good glug of Olive Oil over a medium heat until fully softened. Allow to cool and then combine with half a pack (approximately 150 gr) of Anthotero Cheese (a firm-ish Sheep’s Cheese) and a handful of finely chopped Spinach. Season with Salt and Pepper. Butterfly a large Chicken Breast and bash the hell out of it until it’s an even 2cm in thickness. Place a tablespoon or so of your stuffing mixture into the centre of the Chicken Breast and form it into a tube crossing the length of the breast. Lay two slices of Parma Ham next to each other on a board and transfer the Chicken Breast on top of the Ham. Carefully roll the Chicken Breast into a tight package ensconced within the Parma Ham. Repeat with the other breasts and cook seam side down in a preheated oven at 180 degrees centigrade for 20-25 minutes. Allow to rest for at least 5 minutes before carving. For the skin simply stretch it out over greased baking paper, season with salt and wedge between two heavy baking trays. Cook until golden … about 20minutes … then place on kitchen paper to soak up any excess grease.
(The Chicken Skin “Crisps” are scrumptious! And he made mash.)
To go with Kye’s Chicken Breasts I made a fabulous vegetable dish from Sue Style (though I have slightly adapted her original recipe).
Spinach Parcels with Polenta and Cheese in a Tomato Sauce
6 Large Spinach Leaves, with Stems, washed (Sue uses Chard)
Sea Salt and Fresh Ground Black Pepper
125 gr Polenta
300 ml Milk
155 gr Cheddar Cheese
A Generous Pinch of Cayenne Pepper (Sue uses 2 Red Chillies)
400 gr Can of Tomatoes with their Juice
1 Clove of Garlic, crushed
1 Onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp Olive Oil
4 tbsp Thick Cream
Lightly oil an ovenproof dish and set aside. Carefully cut the stems from the spinach leaves. Pile up the leaves gently so as not to tear them and chop the stems into small cubes.
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and blanch the leaves for a second or two, one by one, in the boiling water. Lift them out with a fish slice, refresh in a sink of cold water and drain them on a tea towel. In the same water, cook the stems for 2 – 3 minutes or until just tender, then drain and set aside.
Make the polenta in a saucepan, as instructed on the packet, mixing it with the milk, 300 ml water and salt and pepper. When cooked, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the spinach stalks, cheese and a pinch of cayenne, or one chopped and de-seeded chilli. Divide the mixture evenly between the spinach leaves, then carefully roll and fold them into parcels. Place them seam side down in the ovenproof dish and set aside.
Put the tomatoes, garlic, onion, one chilli or pinch of cayenne and salt and pepper to taste in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the tomato sauce for about 5 minutes, stirring, until it is thick.
Preheat the oven to 200°. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the cream. Check and adjust the seasoning. Pour the sauce over the parcels.
Bake the parcels in the oven for 20 – 30 minutes until bubbling hot.
——————————–
For Kye’s final evening we had the perfect excuse to go back to Tamam restaurant.
I feel truly blessed to have been twice in one month and as Kye had heard so much good in London about the food at Tamam it seemed only right and fitting to end our stuffed week there. I won’t go into another rave about Maria and her cooking, you’ve read it before, I’ll just give you our choices.
To start Kye ordered Beef Tongue in a Yogurt & Horseradish Sauce and Maria sent out a complimentary Manouri Goat Cheese with Tomato Sauce. I am not a huge fan of tongue having been subjected to it as a child, over cooked and under flavoured. Maria’s Tongue dish had a tenderness I would not have associated with my past experience and the sauce was interesting but on the whole it was just a little too tonguey for me. The Manouri was lightly baked and beautiful – warmed just to the point before falling apart. if you have never tried Manouri, please do, it is a sensational experience.
For main courses Kye ordered Maria’s signature dish of Prawns in Ouzo and Orange. It was as fabulous as ever. Chris had Pork Shank with a Honey & Mustard Sauce – tender to the point of falling off the bone with a sauce both sweet and tantalisingly tangy. Chris’ only criticism – there was too much of it, it was too big. I ordered the Baby Beef Ribs in Maria’s own Barbecue Sauce. Melt in the mouth stunning, cooked to perfection and a piquant sauce that has a bit of a bite. We finished off with Maria’s home made Ice Cream and Mastika. Literally perfect.
——————————–
Inspired by having such incredible food with Kye I have three more recipes for you this week.
Continuing my current love affair with beetroot I made Rick Stein’s version of Beetroot Dip although I have changed it slightly.
Beetroot Dip (Pancar Ezmesi)
3 Medium Beetroots
3 Garlic Cloves, crushed
250 ml Yogurt
Small Bunch of Dill, chopped
35 ml Olive Oil
1 tsp Sea Salt
6 Turns Black Peppermill
Put the beetroots in their skins in a saucepan, cover with water and cook for 30 – 40 minutes or until tender. Drain and allow to cool, then slip their skins off. In a food processor, blend the beetroot, garlic and olive oil. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the yogurt, dill, salt and pepper. Best eaten at room temperature with warm pitta bread.
So simple, but so lush.
Grouper with Spinach and Boiled Potatoes
This dish is inspired by a traditional Athenian recipe that I have played around with to make it my own. You can use any firm white fish fillets – hake, cod etc but I love grouper. Effectively in this recipe I am poaching the fish in the sauce so unless you are cooking this for a large number of people you will have quite a lot of the sauce left over which I have used for the recipe that follows this one. Use as many potatoes and fish fillets as you need for the amount of people you are cooking for. (In this case, just the two of us).
1 Large Potato, peeled and chopped
2 Grouper Fillets, bones removed
Juice of 1 Lemon
For the Sauce:
2 tbsp Cornflour
700 ml Fish Stock, preferably home made
300 ml Retsina
3 Egg Yolks
50 gr Butter, cut into small pieces and straight from the fridge
Fresh Ground Black Pepper
Juice of 1 Lemon
50 ml Cream
75 ml Yogurt
For the Spinach:
150 gr Spinach, washed and roughly torn
30 gr Butter
A pinch each of Sweet Paprika and Cumin
Lay your fillets in a tray or dish and pour over the lemon juice. Leave while you prepare your potatoes.
Boil the potatoes for about 20 minutes or until tender.
Stir the cornflour into the fish stock in a pot big enough to hold the fish fillets. Add Retsina and bring to a boil, stirring continuously. Lower the heat and stirring consistently add one egg yolk and a lump of butter at a time – do not stop stirring or your egg will poach. When all the egg and butter is incorporated add the pepper and lemon juice. Mix the cream and yogurt together thoroughly and stir into the sauce.
Keeping the temperature low place the fillets in the sauce for about 12 minutes. Do not allow the sauce to boil.
Meanwhile steam the spinach in a little salted water for 2 minutes, drain and toss in the butter, sweet paprika and cumin.
Lift the fillets out of the sauce on to warmed plates, add the spinach, top with a little of the sauce and dust with sweet paprika. Serve with the potatoes and sauce on the side.
With a sauce that is so velvety but also so seafoody the only thing to do the next day was get more seafood to use it up.
Cauliflower and Fish Pie
Karen Mash is made using 3 Large Potatoes
1/2 Cauliflower, floreted and boiled for 5 minutes
500 gr – 1 kg Mixed Seafood – really, anything you fancy: More Grouper, Prawns, Fresh Tuna, Salmon, Tsipoura, anything without shells or bones, all cut into bite size pieces
Left over Sauce from Grouper with Spinach
Approximately 200 – 300 gr Cheddar cheese, grated
Preheat your oven to 180° . Mix your seafood and cauliflower into the sauce and pour into an oven proof dish. Spread Karen Mash all over the top and cover with grated cheese.
Bake for 25 – 30 minutes till your cheese is bubbling.
Next: Barbie! CLICK HERE to read
