The Story Behind the RecipeWhen I cut up a chicken and do not need the skin, I save it in the freezer to render my own cooking fat. I also collect fat from other meats separately. In ramen, aromatic oil adds the finishing notes that support the broth and tare. Here, I use chicken fat with all three of my favourite aromatics. Try cooking fried eggs in it too. I have used different animal fats for eggs, and each brings its own flavour. D…

The Story Behind the RecipeI first tried this dish at a lovely little taverna I enjoy visiting, and I was hooked. It was so delicious that I had to recreate it at home. By trying different ingredients and adjusting the quantities, I reached the result I wanted. In the end, I may even prefer it to the version I used to order out. The chicken thigh stays juicy, the sun-dried tomatoes add intensity, and the feta brings the wine and chicke…

The Story Behind the RecipeWe often have plenty of whole milk at home because someone I know works in the dairy industry. When I cannot use it all, I turn it into cheese for other recipes. That is how I started making this easy homemade anthotyro-style cheese. I prefer whole milk and strongly recommend the optional cream because the extra fat gives a creamier result. Draining lets us choose between a softer, moister cheese and a slight…

The Story Behind the RecipeThis is one of the easiest, most aromatic side dishes you can make in a pan. I am generous with the butter here: together with the garlic, it makes the mushrooms fantastic. Onion adds sweetness, white wine lifts the flavour from the pan and thyme finishes everything off. It does not take a complicated recipe to make a side dish that works with so many different meals.The TechniqueGive the onion a little colou…

The Story Behind the RecipeI enjoy recipes where you do the preparation and then let the oven do the work. These ribs are exactly that kind of dish. Mix the spices with olive oil, coat the meat thoroughly and leave it to marinate. Then cook it slowly in a covered roasting dish until beautifully tender and easy to pull away from the bone.I call them smokey, not smoked, because their smoky flavour comes from smoked paprika. The ribs them…

The Story Behind the RecipeI was never particularly excited about beef. Once I tried good-quality meat, the right cut and proper preparation, I realised how different the result could be. Picanha is my favourite beef cut for steak. Its fat, advance salting and careful cooking give me exactly what I want: a good crust outside and juicy meat inside. It takes a little knowledge and attention, but it is a cut worth learning to cook.The Tec…

The Story Behind the RecipeOne day I wanted to cook pork shank a little differently, so I tried this version with white wine, vegetables and thyme. Browning the meat first builds the flavour, then the covered roasting dish takes over. The pork slowly becomes tender while the vegetables combine with its juices. At the end, you can blend them into a smooth sauce that is every bit as enjoyable as the shanks themselves.The TechniqueBrown t…

The Story Behind the RecipeIt was Easter, and I had already prepared two lamb dishes: tsigariasto and gamopilafo. I wanted to make a third, so I decided on lamb fricassee.The beef fricassee recipe I have shared is one I learned from my mother. Here, I took a different approach, richer and heavier but full of flavour: thoroughly browned lamb, plenty of wine and lettuce cooked with the meat before adding the avgolemono.Using a different …

The Story Behind the RecipePork tigania was one of the dishes I enjoyed eating out and wanted to recreate at home. I tried recipes online, but for some reason the result did not always have the flavour I was looking for.Through experimenting, I realised that much of the savoury saltiness and lingering flavour I enjoyed came from the crumbled stock cube. When it goes into the pan with the meat and its juices, it adds a lot of flavour. M…

The Story Behind the RecipeMy family roots are in Chania, but unfortunately I did not have a family village in Crete to visit while growing up. Even so, I have wonderful memories of my trips to the island.On one of my first visits, when I was little, we went to Argyroupoli in Rethymno. I remember the plane trees, their leafy branches almost covering the roads, the streams and the small waterfalls. We sat at a taverna surrounded by this…

Juicy prawns meet garlic, chilli flakes and smoked paprika in flavorful olive oil.The Story Behind the RecipeDuring a trip around several Andalusian cities, I tasted many wonderful dishes. Gambas pil pil became one of my favorites.I loved how a few ingredients could produce so much flavor: prawns, garlic, aromatic oil, paprika and a little heat. I wanted to recreate the taste I had enjoyed in Spain.The result made me very happy. This i…

A small whole tuna cooks in a sealed parcel with lemon, olive oil, garlic and rosemary, then finishes under the grill for color.The Story Behind the RecipeA fisherman friend gave me a small tuna from his island, and I wanted to prepare something easy, fairly quick and uncomplicated.Garlic, rosemary, olive oil and lemon seemed ideal. Cooking the fish in a parcel helps retain its juices, followed by a short grilled finish.This written re…