After returning a few days ago from an unforgettable sailing trip in the Greek Isles, I have been craving some classic Greek snacks. Greece is a beautiful country, with thousands of tiny islands and an array of delectable food. In the summer, the weather is seemingly always sunny and a bit hot, ideal for sunning yourself and swimming in the Mediterranean.
 |
| Sérifos, Greece |
 |
| Melitzanosalata and pita bread |
One of my favorite dishes from the trip was Greek eggplant salad, known as melitzanosalata. Pureed eggplant mixed with fresh garlic, lemon juice, parsley, and of course, olive oil, was a delicious bite that I must have enjoyed a dozen times over the ten days I was in the country.
What was fascinating about this dish in Greece was how much it varied from island to island, or sometimes even restaurant to restaurant. Sometimes it would be incredibly smoky, other times not at all. Some would add something creamy (maybe yogurt), others would add extra garlic.
And, of course you can’t enjoy melitzanosalata without pita bread.
During my search for a great recipe, I also read a little about the variations of melitzanosalata in other parts of the world. Tahini seems to be a common theme outside of Greece, with the Turks and Armenians adding it to their versions. The Hungarians and Romanians toss in chopped onions and use sunflower oil in place of olive oil. Perhaps the most interesting variation is found in Israel, where they use mayonnaise!
A couple of the best recipes and articles came from fellow bloggers, specifically Whipped (Whipped - Melitzanosalata Recipe) and The Hummus Blog (The Hummus Blog - Roasting an Eggplant). Make sure to read The Hummus Blog article, as it gives great instructions on how to roast an eggplant (critical for the smokiness of this recipe). And to give credit, my melitzanosalata recipe is largely based on the link above from Whipped.
As I mentioned, the pita bread is also important for this Greek snack. I have not made pita bread before, but I figured it’s a very simple bread dating back to antiquity. A little side trivia, pita means “bread” in Aramaic (the language from the time of Jesus). So…with the rich history behind this bread, I thought it couldn’t be that hard to make. And it’s not. Only six ingredients, one of which is water, are required to make pita bread. It only needs to rise for 30 minutes, and then it cooks in less than 10 minutes. Anyone can make this.
Just as with anything that is homemade from fresh, high-quality ingredients, the melitzanosalata and pita bread turned out deliciously. Serve as a snack or as an appetizer before enjoying a Greek salad, moussaka, pastitso, or kebabs.
Cheers!
Melitzanosalata – Greek Eggplant Dip
Ingredients:
1 large eggplant
1 T. fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
2 T. olive oil
2 T. Italian parsley, chopped
½ tsp. smoked paprika
Salt & pepper
Instructions:
1. Roast eggplant over open flame on your gas stove (see The Hummus Blog article), or slice in half and roast in the oven at 400º F until soft, about 30-40 minutes
2. Remove the skin from the eggplant, and cut into small pieces
3. In batches, combine eggplant pieces and all other ingredients into a food processor
4. Puree until smooth
5. Mix batches together
6. Taste for salt & pepper
7. Chill in the refrigerator
8. Serve with pita bread
Pita Bread
Ingredients:
2 ½ cups flour (I use King Arthur’s organic whole wheat flour*)
2 tsp salt
1 T. sugar
1 packet active dry yeast (about 2 tsp)
2 T. olive oil
1 cup warm water
Extra olive oil, salt, & pepper for basting mixture
Instructions:
1. Mix dry ingredients together (flour, salt, sugar, and yeast)
2. Mix oil and water in a different bowl
3. Combine ingredients, stirring with a spoon and eventually moving to your hands once it’s starting to mix well
4. Knead the dough for 4-6 minutes
5. Cut the dough, using a scraper, into eight equal pieces
6. Roll into balls and let rise for 30 minutes under a damp cloth
7. Preheat oven to 500º F
8. Roll raised balls into circles, about ¼” thick
9. Place onto pieces of tinfoil
10. Bake for 1-2 minutes, then brush a dash of the basting mixture onto the top of the bread
11. Bake for an additional 3-4 minutes, until cooked through
12. Let cool before serving
No comments:
Post a Comment