When we walk through Corfu Town I make it my mission to find truly authentic tavernas and by far the best one we came across ticked every single box. A simple whitewashed interior featuring a dusty clock and iconic paintings of Christ. Old family photographs fighting for our attention as they danced around a collection…
Tag: Garlic
Greek Island Tzatziki with Dill and Mint
Originating from the Ottoman Empire, this is my version of the popular Greek dish, tzatziki (known as cacık in Turkey). It’s simply a bowl of authentic Greek yoghurt getting it on with little cubes of crunchy cucumber, lots of finely chopped garlic, briny sea salt, a generous glug of grassy Kalamata olive oil, an audacious…
Greek Feta, Romano Pepper and Tomato Saganaki
In Greece ‘saganaki’ is a term used to describe a variety of small dishes made in a traditional two-handled frying pan (the name being derived from the Turkish word ‘sahan’ meaning a copper dish). Very often, the same word is used to describe cheese cooked this way – namely kasseri, kefalotyri or kefalograviera – which…
Aleppo Muhammara, a Spicy Red Pepper and Roasted Walnut Dip
It was coming to the end of a long and sultry day as I languidly eased myself upon a heap of vintage embroidered cushions, the candle-lit lanterns flickering in the warm early evening breeze of an Istanbul night. The background music was haunting as if it were calling me from a far away place. I…
Levantine Labneh with Green Harissa, Roast Cherry Tomatoes and Dukkah
The nearer to Christmas it gets, the further East I travel for recipe inspiration. I suspect that this is greatly influenced by the boxes of dates we used to be given as a child. You may know the ones I mean, the box had a lacy paper lining and a bright label depicting the three…
Persian Beetroot Borani with Yoghurt and Dill
Borani is a Persian yoghurt-based dip that usually includes cooked vegetables such as spinach or beetroot. There seem to be no precise rules in respect of the ingredients used but this version is one of my favourites. Ironically the first time I was served it we were sitting atop a candlelit roof-top terrace of a…
Palermo Courgette Agrodolce with Garlicky Ricotta
It’s early morning in the historical centre of Palermo in Sicily and the markets come alive as giant red awnings unfold like sails to protect tables heaving with produce from the already dazzling sunlight. Buckets of foraged asparagus sit alongside bright bunches of wild fennel, battered aluminium pots filled with warm potatoes already cooked to…
Haricots Beurre Marocain, Butter Beans with Rose Harissa, Saffron and Sumac
This beautifully fragrant dish is inspired by one we ordered for supper in a tiny North African restaurant set on a cobbled side street just off the Canal St-Martin in Paris. It makes for a perfect year-round lunch served with grilled pain de levain rubbed with garlic and a glass of red wine. Or, serve…
Huevos a la Flamenca, Flamenco Eggs with Pimentón de la Vera
An old man’s bar deep in the heart of Barrio de la Latina in Madrid, this one was nothing fancy yet it was glorious. A wooden bar with a centuries-old patina, a few barrels with high stools to sit upon but not for too long because traditional Spanish bars are not built for idle lingering….
Amirim Lemon-scented Labneh with Zhoug and Hazelnut and Thyme Dukkah
Labneh is a beautiful soft cheese simply made from strained yoghurt that can be eaten with pretty much everything and is a particularly good friend to rich and spicy mezze dishes. The first time I tasted it I was sat at a little linen-covered table on the edge of a vegetable garden in Amirim, an entirely vegetarian organic…
Cardamom and Dill 