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Greek Aubergine Salad. Melizanosalata. ©

August 11, 2012

This is a recipe I am most passionate about and it has taken me several tries to get it absolutely as I remember it.
In my youth I knew a dear Lady who made it beautifully and as a child I used to watch her with fascination as she meticulously prepared it, using the traditional Greek wooden pestle and mortar, called a ‘Goudi.’
When one day, much later on I tried to make it, I consulted one or two people , who said,” Oh it is nothing, it is easy!” Always be extra careful when people say that !
Just the smell of the baking aubergines, as they smolder on the coals….. The taste must be smoky, the consistency smooth and full, standing up when pushed with a spoon, like mayonnaise and the flavour of the cold press olive oil, just coming through. The lemon and vinegar must just balance the taste of the aubergines, and the salt brings to the fore the subtle combination of ingredients.
Many people add  fresh tomato, parsley and mayonnaise or yogurt to whiten it……. Not the real thing at all! This is a purely aubergine affaire, which is so subtle it needs great care to achieve.
One of the secrets is grilling the aubergines on charcoal, if possible, otherwise under the grill, or on the gas cooker top. Many are tempted to add a spoonful of yogurt to whiten the salad, but this does not give the same final result and of course adding the oil slowly, as for when making mayonnaise, is essential.
How I remember this dear Lady’s procedure so vividly, slowly slowly adding the virgin olive oil and always made in a ‘Xilino Goudi,’ ( wooden pestle and mortar, ) which also absorbs some of the moisture of the aubergine.
Like a good wine it matures in Oak!
6 persons
Ingredients
4 large aubergine, or 6 smaller ones
1 medium onion finely grated
1/2 lemon juice
1 tbs vinegar
1-2 tsp salt
1 cup virgin cold press olive oil
Parsley to decorate and Kalamata black olives
Method
1. Prepare the charcoals and light the fire. This can be done as I have, in a Kazani, (Old fashioned  Greek water heater, ) which few of you will have, or on the barbecue, but if all else fails in the oven, always piercing the aubergines first with a knife, so that they do not explode! Letting them char to get the smoked flavour.
2.Finely grate the medium onion, on the finest holes of  your grater and add to it the squeezed lemon juice, 1 tbs vinegar and 1 tsp salt.
3.Once the aubergines are baked, about half an hour, turning them on all sides as they cook.
Remove them from the oven and cut open with a sharp knife. Pull apart with two spoons and empty contents  into your old style “Mouli. Alternatively place aubergines in a bowl of cold water and peal like a peach.
4. Take care to remove any charred specks and add onion  and lemon mixture.
5. Turn your ‘Mouli” until only the seeds remain. This is the big advantage over the modern mixer, as the seeds are held back. If you don’t have a Mouli, pass through a sieve.
6.  Add very slowly, as one does when making Mayonnaise, your virgin olive oil, until you can taste the flavour of the olive oil in the aubergine salad. Mix thoroughly so the oil is fully incorporated, before adding more.
7. Taste carefully for salt and lemon/vinegar.
8. Turn out into a serving dish and decorate by pulling a pattern with the back of a spoon from the sides to the center. Your pattern should hold like thick mayonnaise!
Decorate with parsley and Kalamata olives.
9. Store in the refrigerator and serve with crispy warm bread, though I have to say, I love it just on its own and it is excellent served as a meze, starter, or with roast lamb.
This is the pure and unadulterated recipe for aubergine salad.
I have really enjoyed producing this recipe, so please forgive the numerous photographs!
Pick your aubergines from the kitchen garden, or buy at your local market.
Wash and pierce your aubergines with a sharp knife, before cooking them, so that they do not burst during
baking.
This is a Greek “Kazani”. Stoke it up with wood for the day’s hot water and when just the coals are left, roast
your aubergines.
The coals are ready……
Place your aubergines on the coals and after 20 minutes turn the aubergines onto the other side.
Once your aubergines are cooked, shrunken, but not too shrunken, place in roasting tin and leave
momentarily to cool.
Ready for making……
Gather together all your ingredients.
Grate your medium sized onion on a fine grater.
This is what your finely grated onion should look like.
Squeeze juice of lemon.
Add to onion, lemon juice and vinegar.
Add salt.
Using a sharp knife, cut an incision down the center of the aubergine. Open up with two stainless steel
spoons.
Open up the aubergine and remove carefully, the soft white pulp inside.
Just the empty shells remain.
Place pulp into ‘Mouli.’ take care to remove any burnt pieces of skin, as you can see in the picture,
because this will darken the end result.
Empty all the aubergine pulp into the ‘Mouli,’ and drizzle intermittently with the onion mixture.
Drizzle with the onion mixture.
Beautiful colors!
 This picture shows the liquid from the aubergine pulp, which has drained through as you have placed the
pulp into the Muli.
BEFORE starting to turn the handle of your Mouli, pour this liquid off into a glass and reserve to add to
your next roast lamb.
This is an IMPORTANT point, otherwise  your aubergine salad will be too runny.
You will lose some of the Onion liquid, but this does not matter.
Depending on the aubergines, the liquid can be as much as a glass full.
Turn ‘Mouli,’ until all the aubergine pulp is passed through.
Scrape away the last of aubergine, so as not to waist any of this delectable puree.
Only the seeds remain.
Add cold press olive oil, in a fine drizzle, as if for making Mayonnaise.
Incorporate well each drizzle of olive oil, before adding more.
Final result……just delicious! Let me know what you think, love getting your feed back.
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from → Dips, Greek Recipes, Meze, Salads, Vegetables

Coffee And Almond Dessert ©

August 9, 2012

 

 

A wonderfully quick almond dessert taught to me by Anna.

 

This celebrates 5,ooo views and 100 recipes posted! Thank you all for following my Blog!

 

Easy
6 Persons

Ingredients

1 packet Lady- finger biscuits ( about 18 )

300 ml Cream for filling

2 tbs icing sugar

2 tsp Nescafe or more

6 tbs Brandy, Metaxa or more

10 tbs milk or more

To Decorate

100 ml whipped Cream

1-2 tbs Lightly roasted flaked almonds

 

Method

Place almonds in roasting tray and place under grill. Watch over them until their color just begins to turn. This happens very quickly and they easily burn, so don’t get distracted…….

Before beginning, whip up your decorating cream in a separate bowl, reserve in fridge.

1.Place 300 ml of cream in blender and whip together with icing sugar until stiff.

2. Add coffee, which you have rubbed through a fine sieve. Taste for strength, add more coffee if you wish.

3. Make up dipping bowl of ‘milk and brandy’ and having chosen a suitable serving dish, begin dipping your biscuits for just 3-4 second in the milk and arrange in serving dish.The biscuits will still be firm, but don’t worry, they soften up later.

4. Once you have one layer, spread with half the coffee cream and repeat with a second layer.

5. Smooth out the top decorate with cream stars, using a piping bag. Place in refrigerator to chill for two hours.

6.  Sprinkle with lightly roasted almonds just before serving.

This is an old fashioned recipe, from way back, but excellent if you need to make a quick dessert.

I usually serve it in small bowls, or plates using a large table spoon to serve.

The Nescafe granules dissolve in the cream, where as real coffee doesn’t and leaves a speckled effect. I sometimes add a little Jacobs for extra flavour.

The link bellow is interesting about the origins of “Ladyfinger.”

http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/Cakes/Ladyfingers.htm

 

Whip up decorating cream until stiff and reserve in refrigerator.

  • Beat cream and coffee essence until the beaters leave a trail.
  • Mix together dipping bowl of milk and Metaxa brandy
  • I always have a packet of “Ladyfinger” biscuits in the cupboard, so that I can make up this dessert, if a
  • surprise occasion arises.

Dip biscuits in milk and brandy for not more than three seconds, turning the biscuits as you dip.

They will seem hard, but they soon soften up.

After dipping in milk, arrange in serving dish.

Cover first layer of biscuits with whipped coffee cream. Then repeat.

Repeat with next layer of biscuits, dipped in milk and brand and cover again with the coffee cream.

Decorate with stars of cream, using a piping instrument and smooth out with a fork.

Chill in refrigerator for two hours before serving.

Decorate with lightly roasted flaked almonds just before serving.

Final result ! Delicious……..

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from → Desserts

Marinaded Peppers ©

August 8, 2012

A lovely recipe for when you have a glut of peppers in the kitchen garden!

 

Easy

 

6 Persons

Ingredients       

10 Long light green or dark green peppers

Oil for frying

 

Marinade

3 tbs Olive Oil

1 tbs Vinegar

Salt and pepper

2 Cloves of garlic sliced

1 tbs chopped mint, optional

 

Method

1. Wash the peppers and dry well with kitchen paper. ( These peppers you find in Greece in the summer time, they are not hot. This recipe  can also be made with other peppers of your choice, but if large ‘bell’ peppers are used, you will need to cut them in half of quarters and remove seeds.)

2. In a wide sauce pan, with lid, pour olive oil, to cover base.

3. Fry rapidly with lid on, as it is a messy business, until peppers still hold their shape, but are a little browned on all sides. Use long handled tweezers to do this. Fry in batches. Place in serving dish.

4. In a jar make your dressing, shake well, and pour over peppers while they are still hot.

5. Sprinkle the slices of garlic over the top and cover with cling film to marinade for two hours.

6. Delicious cold, or warm, if you can’t wait that long…..

N.B. If you like, you can make an incision in the peppers, length wise, and remove the seeds before frying. Once cooked, you can also carefully peal off the skins after leaving them to sweat under cling film for 10 minutes. You are then left with just the flesh. Marinade as above.

 

Final result !

 

 

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from → Greek Recipes, Lenten Dishes / Clean Monday Feast, Meze, Salads, Vegetables
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