Any Greek chefs on the site - Kleftico and Afelia

[Malc.]

Thanks Jerry, I was going to ask you for your recipe. Do you have one for Tzatziki?

I made some last night but confess I bought some BBQ packed chicken breast from ASDA flavoured Garlic, Lemon & Mixed Herbs, served with salad on plain naan with Tzatziki (Delphi brand). Wasn't bad but no home run, too much rosemary in the herb mix. Tzatziki was good though.

[976bar]

Hi Jerry,

My recipe for Souvlaki is as follows and uses lamb rather than pork.

1.5 kilo lamb (leg chunks)
2 cloves of garlic
Salt, Pepper, Oregano
300 grams Greek Youghurt
2 onions
chopped parsley
3 tomatoes
2 green peppers
1 red pepper

Place the lamb in a bowl and add the youghurt and the crushed garlic. Season with salt, pepper and oregano, mix well and put in the fridge for 12 hours.

Cut the green peppers, red pepper and onion into 2" squares or similar. Thread the meet, peppers and onions onto skewers and grill on the BBQ until done.

The recipe from the restaurant for Tzatziki is as follows.

1/2 kilo greek youghurt
4 cloves garlic (crushed)
1 cucumber
1 tbsp vinegar
salt
50 grams butter

Grate the cucumber, melt the butter over a low heat. In a bowl add the yoghurt, garlic, cucumber and vinegar, season with salt and mix well. Stir in the melted butter. Place it in the fridge to set for an hour.

Enjoy!!

[ootini]

How would you actually present/serve this? I mean a stinking great lamb shank on a plate is a bit unweildly.

I'm thinking the following.
Take each shank, and shred the meat off the bone, then serve it layered over a light green salad, with some feta and a yoghurt mint dressing. Maybe some roasted new potatoes. Any thoughts?

[Peripatetic Phil]

How would you actually present/serve this? I mean a stinking great lamb shank on a plate is a bit unweildly.

I'm thinking the following.
Take each shank, and shred the meat off the bone, then serve it layered over a light green salad, with some feta and a yoghurt mint dressing. Maybe some roasted new potatoes. Any thoughts?

Yes : put a "stinking great lamb shank" on the plate drenched in a little jus, and let me enjoy it as God intended   

[Malc.]

Dave, Phil sums it up nicely.

You won't need to shred the lamb, it should fall off the bone. I served mine straight on the plate and drizzled with the remaining jus, just as Phil suggests.

If you add potatoes to the shank prior to cooking and create a grease proof paper/foil bag, you could simply present the opened bag on the plate. Adds a sense of occasion.

I served up with a salad and a few extras but as a 'rustic' dish, gently roasted veg would be good, or salad and plenty of bread.

[ootini]

I am starving now. That's the problem with this forum!!!

[JerryM]

Axe,

just for info include the Tzatziki recipe i use (very similar to 976bar's):

500ml yogurt
5 cloves garlic grated
1 cucumber grated and drained
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp vinegar
salt/pepper (i add this slowly and tasting after mixing the rest)

976bar,

many thanks for souvlaki recipe - the main difference being yogurt in your recipe - will need to give it a try.

i have your kleftico on the go at the moment. i like to marinade for most dishes like this before cooking - i have 1.1kg bone leg cubed from butcher marinating in the juice 1 lemon, salt 0.5 tsp, black pepper 0.25 tsp, oregano 4 tsp and 12 off garlic slithers

it smells better than lugging the case to manchester airport.

ps following on from ootini serving quest: i'm going to roast some baked veg in tomato sauce.

[976bar]

Axe,

just for info include the Tzatziki recipe i use (very similar to 976bar's):

500ml yogurt
5 cloves garlic grated
1 cucumber grated and drained
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp vinegar
salt/pepper (i add this slowly and tasting after mixing the rest)

976bar,

many thanks for souvlaki recipe - the main difference being yogurt in your recipe - will need to give it a try.

i have your kleftico on the go at the moment. i like to marinade for most dishes like this before cooking - i have 1.1kg bone leg cubed from butcher marinating in the juice 1 lemon, salt 0.5 tsp, black pepper 0.25 tsp, oregano 4 tsp and 12 off garlic slithers

it smells better than lugging the case to manchester airport.

ps following on from ootini serving quest: i'm going to roast some baked veg in tomato sauce.

Hi Jerry,

Are you saying that you have had the meat removed from the bone and cubed? that's what it reads like........ Thats a no no, if so, you need to keep th shank whole and marinate it. Cooking it complete will add the bone marrow into the taste, this gives it flavour.....

Unless I am reading it all wrong. I hope so........

[Malc.]

Thanks Jerry,
I read a recipe that said to grate the cucumber into a colander then drench with vinegar and then sprinkle with salt and allow to drain for 45mins to remove excess moisture. Might be worth a try.
976, I think Jerry means bone in, or at least I hope so.
You can't beat bone marrow, I miss not having it in chops anymore.

[JerryM]

976bar, Axe,

No. i'm going off what i've eaten on hols (Agios Nikolaos). i know shank is the proper way. i have no explanation why different but i've been used to it cubed.

it's gets worse. i've just been searching afelia. it comes up with coriander seed and cinnamon. there is clearly some differences in the world. the afelia i relate to is lamb in red wine. i just can't see cinnamon or coriander in there.

this quest may not be as easy as i'd thought - the klefitico lamb does smell good though. to cook it i'm going to put a wet tea towel between the lid and the dish and cook for 4 hrs on 140C. i just need to get the accompliment upto spec ie potato and veg.