It’s no secret anymore that the Greek cuisine is renowned for its fresh, diverse and delicious flavours. Greek dishes, ranging from calamari to souvlaki to pastitsio, have reached worldwide popularity. However, among the islands, the cuisine differs slightly as each has its own specialty.
The team at Oliver’s Travels recently travelled to the beautiful island destination Corfu and stayed in our exclusive holiday homes Villa Kontokali and Duchess Alexandra Villa. They were cooked a traditional meal by each of the villa’s chefs who even gave us their recipe, so you can try it at home! Cooking Greek food has never been so easy…
Prawns Saganaki | Sofrito| Salad with fruits
Villa Kontokali
Alexandros Pappas is Villa Kontokali’s very own chef. We had a chat with him about cooking Greek food and his recommendations in Corfu.
For how long have you been a chef?
More than a decade.
What’s the most popular dish you cook for guests?
Seafood in general, like seabass ceviche and prawns saganaki, but rooster pastitsado – a casserole dish – as well.
What do you love most about Greek food?
I love the great variety of fish we have in Greece and it has always been fascinating to me to experience how climate affects the cuisine and how beautifully all tastes alternate marrying sea and land together. Spices – depending on the region – can range from mild to strong, but in the end, the ingredients themselves are always the star. It is always about the freshness of the latter and trying to transfer the original taste to every dish like our mothers and grandmothers do.
What are your favourite Greek dishes?
Fish Bianco style; fish ceviche; salmon tartare with white tsigareli, sautéed greens with onions and tomatoes; rooster pastitsado; lamb shank with saffron-infused mashed potato, shimeji mushrooms or king oyster mushrooms and Vinsanto sauce; prawns saganaki; semifreddo with wild berries purée and fresh red berries.
What’s your favourite restaurant in Corfu?
Pomo d’Oro in Corfu town because of its fine dining modern Greek cuisine and Akron beach restaurant at Paleokastritsa for its great dishes and seaside location.
What’s an easy recipe to try at home?
Prawns Saganaki
Prawns Saganaki
Ingredients:
King prawns
Tinned chopped tomatoes
Feta cheese
Ouzo
Garlic
Olive Oil
Pepper
Clean the prawns but leave the head on, then sauté them with garlic in a pan. At the end pour a little bit of ouzo and let the alcohol evaporate. Then add the tomato sauce and the feta cheese and cook for 3-4 minutes. Transfer it to an ovenproof bowl, cover it with aluminium foil and let it bake in the oven at 180C for 10-12 minutes.
Tip: Season with pepper when on the pan, but do not put salt as feta cheese is usually a little bit salty.
Duchess Alexandra Villa
Leo has been a chef for more than 20 years. For many years, he has been working in numerous luxury hotels in Athens and the Greek islands. He became a private chef in yachts for an equally long period of time. In recent years he decided to look for a quieter way of life and has chosen to be a chef in villas. Now he is the chef at Duchess Alexandra Villa.
What’s the most popular dish you cook for guests?
The most popular dish in Duchess Alexandra Villa is fillet of sea bass with spinach and carrot puree.
What do you love most about Greek food?
The Mediterranean diet is Greek food. It is the healthiest way of eating. In Greece, we produce so many products and we have the ability to taste different textures and flavours, by creating high nutrition dishes, rich in colours and smell. At Duchess Alexandra Villa we use the best Greek products to prepare breakfast and meals – fresh vegetables and fruits, the daily fish catch and the best quality meat are employed to satisfy even the most demanding palate.
What are your favourite Greek dishes?
My favourite dish is lamb cooked in a pot jug with baby potatoes.
What’s your favourite restaurant in Corfu?
My favourite restaurant in Corfu is Venetian Well, a 10-minute drive from Duchess Alexandra Villa.
What’s an easy recipe to try at home?
Sofrito
Sofrito is a Venetian dish based on veal, which was integrated into the Corfiot cuisine. It’s a traditional and well-known dish. Its name comes from the Italian “So fritto” which means “braised”.
Greek Sofrito
Ingredients for 4 servings:
1kg veal (rump) cut in thin slices, 0.5cm thick
350g dry white wine
200g white balsamic vinegar
300g flour
200ml olive oil
6 cloves of garlic (cut in thin slices)
2 cups of thick-cut parsley
500ml water
Salt – Pepper
Preparation:
Dredge the meat with flour and fry it in a frying pan with oil. Be careful not to put too many slices of meat in the oil so that the oil temperature does not drop. After the meat is slightly fried, put it aside.
Take a large pot, place it on the stove, add the olive oil, half of the garlic and half of the parsley and sauté them.
Put the meat slices next to each other on top of the sautéed herbs.
Add the remaining garlic and the remaining parsley, and douse it with wine and then with balsamic vinegar. After they have evaporated, add water, and let it braise on low heat for 1-1.5 hours. Don’t stir it with a spoon, hold the pot from the handles and move it in circular motions. Add some water if needed. Don’t use a spoon as otherwise, the meat will fall apart.
After the meat is boiled and the sauce has thickened, add salt and pepper. It’s ready!
Sofrito is garnished with rice, mashed potatoes or fries.
Salad with fruits
Ingredients:
Green lollo lettuce
Red lollo lettuce
Radicchio
Chicory
Rocket
Spinach
Strawberries
Orange
Mango
Papaya
Tortillas
Fresh, unsalted pistachios
Pecorino cheese from Amfilochia
Preparation:
Put the tortillas in moulds and bake them in the oven for about 15 minutes at 180oC until they turn golden and crispy. After baking, take them out of the oven and put them aside to cool down.
Make sure that the fruits and vegetables are fresh and of good quality. Wash the fruits and vegetables thoroughly and let them drain. Cut the strawberries in half and the other fruits in squares. Cut the vegetables in large pieces. Grind the pistachios (or break them in small pieces). Grate flakes of the pecorino cheese.
Put all fruits and vegetables in a deep bowl and lightly stir them so that they are well mixed.
When the tortillas have cooled down, put some salad into each tortilla and add the orange vinaigrette sauce. Finally, add the pistachios on top (fresh, unsalted) and flakes of pecorino cheese from Amfilochia.
Ingredients for the orange vinaigrette sauce:
¼ cup olive oil
Zest from 1 orange
Juice from 1 orange
1 teaspoon sugar or honey
1 teaspoon mustard
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Salt
Preparation:
Pour the orange juice and the sugar in a small pot. Boil on low heat to reduce the liquid until 1/3 of its volume is left. When it’s ready, remove the pot from heat and put it aside to cool down.
After it has cooled down, add the zest, the mustard, the balsamic vinegar and the salt and stir. Then add the olive oil and stir with a whisk until the mixture thickens. Add the dressing to the salad and serve.
So, get ready to channel your inner chef and cook up a Greek feast! If you don’t want to cook yourself, why don’t you just have a look at our extensive villa portfolio in Corfu and experience a true Greek lifestyle?
A week in Corfu – Your island itinerary
The top 10 luxury villas in Corfu
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