Moving beyond (but never forgetting) the beloved gyro and souvlaki, Greek food is enjoying a revival with the familiar old school dishes of family run local restaurants being re-imagined by chefs up and down the country into something sleek and elegant for a new wave of diners. At its core, Greek food is about shared meals which have contributed to its intergenerational popularity in Australia. The climate, sunshine, lifestyle, and great produce of the cuisine, align with the move to shared plates that embody fresh, flavourful summer dining, leaning into the popularity of the Mediterranean diet and our nationwide love of alfresco.
Ingredients
For the calamari
1kg cleaned calamari
180g plain flour
50g corn flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon Greek oregano
Lemon wedges
For the dorade
1kg sea bream fillets
40ml lemon juice
80ml olive oil
Fresh oregano
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
For the ladolemono
450ml extra virgin olive oil
150ml lemon juice
4 cloves garlic, grated
Sea salt
Dried oregano
Freshly ground black pepper
For the greek lamb
2.5kg lamb shoulder
2 lemons, juiced and zested
6 cloves garlic
Dried oregano
2 sprigs rosemary
50g mustard
Sea salt
60ml extra virgin olive oil
For the gigantes plaki
1 brown onion, finely chopped
1 stick celery, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic
40ml olive oil
400g diced Italian tomatoes or tomato polpa
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 sprigs fresh lemon thyme
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon chilli flakes
800g (tinned weight) butter beans, drained
2 bay leaves
For the horta
1kg robust green leaves (eg broadleaf rocket, silverbeet, sorrel)
1 onion, finely chopped
2-3 cloves garlic.finely chopped
40ml olive oil
- 1kg robust green leaves (e.g. broadleaf rocket, silverbeet, sorrel)
Method
1. To make the calamari
Whether fresh or frozen, quality is key. Toss thinly sliced calamari in the plain and corn flour seasoned with baking powder, sea salt, black pepper and oregano. Quickly deep fry and serve with wedges of lemon.
2. To make the dorade
Dorade refers to a type of sea bream and in true Greek style are fillets or small whole fish marinated in lemon juice, olive oil and oregano, then pan fried or grilled, served simply with sea salt and pepper.
3. To make the ladolemono
A Greek one stop flavour bomb multitool, a dressing, a marinade and a sauce. Using a ratio of 3:1 (extra virgin olive oil to lemon juice), whisk the mixture with grated garlic, sea salt, dried oregano and black pepper, slowly whisking in the olive oil until combined. A perfect pairing to the dorade, this sauce can also be served over grilled meat or as a drizzle over crispy roasted potatoes.
4. To make the greek lamb
Nothing can quite surpass a slow roasted lamb shoulder for a quietly confident centrepiece. Gloriously simple, roasted to meltingly tender and requires little prep for superb results. Marinate in a little lemon juice for 24 hours, then rub with a paste of garlic, dried oregano, rosemary, lemon zest, mustard, sea salt and olive oil. Slow roast covered for 3-5 hours and finish in a hot oven for 15 minutes, then pull apart after resting to serve.
5. To make the gigantes palki
For an authentic version, gently fry chopped onion, celery, carrot and garlic in a little olive oil until softened. Add diced tinned tomatoes, dried oregano, thyme, cinnamon, chilli, black pepper and salt then loosen with water (about 1/3 the volume of tomatoes used). Simmer for 5 minutes before adding in tinned (or soaked and cooked) butter beans, a the bay leaves and a little more olive oil. Bake covered for about 20 minutes, then finish uncovered to brown a little.
6. To make the horta
Fry onion and garlic in olive oil, add washed greens and sauté until wilted before adding in a little water. Cover and cook on low for 30 minutes. Serve warm or cold, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil, salt and of course, a generous squeeze of lemon.
Chef's notes
- While not traditionally Greek, fruitier, slightly sweet and less intense than their black pepper cousins, pink peppercorns are a perfect pairing to Greek flavours.
- If you would like to additionally tenderise the calamari, soak in salted buttermilk (about 125ml per kg of calamari) for 30 minutes before tossing in flour and cooking.
- For the Greek lamb and gigantes plaki serve with a little extra lemon or feta for added flavour.
- One of the cornerstone Greek mezze dishes is taramasalata. An emulsion of dried mullet or cod roe, garlic, red onion, lemon and olive oil thickened with stale bread instead of egg yolk. While simple to make there are also many great pre-made taramasalata if the goal is to reduce prep time.
Featured in Summer 24/25
