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nm1999

Active member
Everything is better when you add wine

Here are the ingredients
  • 1/4 cup Greek olive oil
  • 3 slices pancetta, diced
  • One whole chicken (about 4 pounds), cut in 6 pieces
  • 2 large onions, chopped
  • 3 carrots, peeled and cut into 4 pieces
  • 1 fennel bulb, fronds removed and chopped
  • 2 cups whole, small mushrooms – washed and trimmed (optional)
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 cup sweet red wine, such as Mavrodaphne
  • 1 cup dry red wine
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Water, as needed
  • 3 tablespoons chopped, fresh parsley
Heres how to make it
Add the oil to a dutch oven and heat over medium for 30 seconds. Add the pancetta and saute for 1 minute. Add the chicken and sear on on side for 5 minutes. Turn the pieces over and sear for another 5 minutes. Sear the chicken pieces in batches if they don’t fit in the pan at once. Remove the chicken fro the pan and set aside.

Add the onions, carrots, and fennel and saute over medium heat for 5 minutes. If using mushrooms, add them and saute for 1 minute. After that, add the garlic and saute for one minute. Add the chicken back to the pan and add the sweet wine, dried wine, red pepper flakes, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, and salt. If the mixture doesn’t cover the chicken, add a little water until it does.

Cover the pan and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Once it does, reduce the heat to low to simmer the stew for 45 minutes. Turn the chicken pieces over, return the lid to the pan, and then simmer the stew for another 45 minutes.

Remove the chicken and vegetables from the pan, leaving the liquid behind. With the pan uncovered, bring the liquid to a boil and then drop it to a simmer. Let it cook for about five minutes or until the sauce thickens slightly. Pour the sauce over the chicken and vegetables and then sprinkle with the fresh parsley just before serving.
 

Favorite Greek Cheeses Beyond Feta

Feta gets most of the attention when people talk about Greek cheese, but there are so many other varieties worth trying. I’m curious which Greek cheeses everyone enjoys most beyond feta.

Graviera is one of my favorites because it works so well on a cheese plate, grated over dishes, or just eaten with bread. Kasseri is another one I really like, especially melted. I’ve also been interested in trying more regional cheeses like metsovone, manouri, kefalotyri, and formaela.

Some Greek cheeses seem to be much easier to find outside Greece than others, so I’d also love to know which ones people regularly buy and where they usually find them.

What Greek cheeses do you keep coming back to? Are there certain ones you associate with a particular region, dish, or family tradition? And if someone has mostly eaten feta, which Greek cheese would you recommend they try next?

Do You Put Cinnamon in Your Keftedes?

I’m curious how everyone here makes keftedes, especially when it comes to cinnamon. I know some Greek families add a little cinnamon to the meat mixture, while others would never think of putting it in.

In my experience, even a small amount can change the flavor quite a bit. It gives the keftedes a warmer, slightly sweeter spice in the background, but I can also see how it might not be for everyone. I’ve had versions that lean more heavily on oregano, mint, parsley, garlic, and onion instead.

Do you put cinnamon in your keftedes? If you do, how much do you usually use, and was that something your family always did? I’d also be curious to know if it varies depending on what part of Greece your family comes from.

Would love to hear how everyone seasons theirs and what you consider essential for really good keftedes.

Do you put potatoes in your briam?

I've noticed that there are quite a few variations of briam, especially when it comes to which vegetables people include. One ingredient I'm particularly curious about is potatoes. Do you always put potatoes in your briam, or do you prefer making it without them?

I usually think of briam as a combination of zucchini, eggplant, potatoes, tomatoes, onions, and plenty of olive oil. I love how the potatoes absorb all those wonderful flavors as everything slowly roasts together in the oven.

However, I've seen recipes that leave the potatoes out entirely and focus more on the summer vegetables. I imagine that makes the dish a little lighter.

I'm also curious whether there are regional differences in how briam is prepared throughout Greece. Does your family have a particular way of making it? And what vegetables do you consider absolutely essential?

Is lamb or beef more traditional for giouvetsi?

I've been looking into traditional Greek giouvetsi recipes lately, and I'm curious about which meat is considered the most traditional. I've seen recipes that use lamb, others that call for beef, and even some that use chicken.

I love the idea of slowly cooking the meat in a rich tomato sauce with orzo until everything becomes tender and flavorful. However, I'm wondering whether lamb or beef would be the more authentic choice.

Is one traditionally preferred in certain regions of Greece? I've read that lamb is often associated with older Greek recipes, but beef seems to be very common in modern versions of giouvetsi.

I'm also curious whether the choice of meat changes the way the dish is prepared. Does lamb require different seasonings or cooking times than beef?

For those familiar with traditional Greek cooking, which version do you prefer, and which would you recommend trying first?

What Is the Best Way to Serve Taramosalata?

I absolutely love taramosalata and have it pretty regularly at home, but I’m having some people over soon and was wondering about the best way to serve it when entertaining.

Normally I just eat it with some bread or pita, so I don’t really put much thought into presentation. For guests, though, I’d like to make it part of a nice Greek-style spread with a few other things on the table. I was thinking warm pita triangles, crusty bread, maybe some cucumber and other vegetables for dipping, but I’m curious what everyone else usually serves with it.

Do you drizzle a little olive oil over the top or add any kind of garnish? And are there particular meze that you think pair especially well with taramosalata?

I’d love some ideas for making it look a little more special while still keeping everything traditional and simple.
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