Hare with hylopites (pasta)

Macedonian

Ingredients for 4-6 people

1 hare

3 onions

2 carrots

2 celery leaves

1 garlic clove

1 cinnamon stick

3 tablespoons of tomato paste

1 cup red wine

1 cup olive oil

3 glasses of water

½ kg hylopites

salt

for the marinade:

peppercorns

allspice

1 small cup vinegar

Directions

Cut the hare in servings and marinate overnight in vinegar, allspice and peppercorns.The next day, drain and sauté the hare with half of the olive oil over high heat until it forms a crust.

Add the wine, the tomato paste and water, the onions, the carrots, the chopped celery, garlic and cinnamon and let them boil for an hour over medium heat.

Place the meat with the broth in a pan, add the hylopites and bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for half an hour.

Editing & photoshoot :
Stella Spanou
Author of Cooking Books, Award Winning Photographer

Trachanas with sausages

Thracian

Ingredients for 4 people

3-4 heaped tablespoons of red trachanas*

2 glasses of water

1 small onion

1 small cup olive oil

2 sausages

Directions

Finely chop the onion, add the olive oil in a saucepan, sauté the onion and add the water when it’s golden.Once the water boils, pour the red trachana in the saucepan and stir constantly over low heat until it’s cooked.

Carve the sausages and cook them in the pan without extra oil, because they have their own fat.Place the cooked sausages, chopped into pieces, in the trachanas and serve the dish while it’s hot.

Editing & photoshoot :
Stella Spanou
Author of Cooking Books, Award Winning Photographer

Beef with bulgur

Eastern Thrace

Ingredients for 4 people

1 kg beef

2 cups bulgur

1 cup olive oil

2 medium onions

paprika

5 mint leaves

6 cups water

yogurt

salt & pepper

Directions

Rinse the meat under cold water and cut it in servings.Chop the onions and boil the meat in the water.Skim a couple of times and then add the onions and the mint and let them over medium heat for an hour.

When the meat is tender, add the bulgur with some salt, black pepper and paprika.Stir once and cook over low heat for 30 minutes. When the bulgur is cooked, cover the pot with a towel and put the lid on, so all the moisture is absorbed. Serve with yoghurt.

Editing & photoshoot :
Stella Spanou
Author of Cooking Books, Award Winning Photographer

Borts

Pontian

Ingredientsfor 4 people
800g beef, cut in cubes
3 medium potatoes
2 medium carrots
1 small cabbage, chopped

1/2 bunch of parsley
1 large onion
2 cups tomato juice
1 cup olive oil
2 glasses of water
1 chili pepper
salt
black pepper

Directions
Grate the onion and sauté in olive oil; add the chili pepper (chopped ) and then the meat. Sauté for 10 minutes and then add the tomato juice and let it boil for an hour. Chop the rest of the vegetables and add them in the pot. Add the parsley, salt and pepper and let them boil for another half an hour, until the potatoes are tender.

Editing & photoshoot :
Stella Spanou
Author of Cooking Books, Award Winning Photographer

Soutzoukakia with gravy

Anatolia

Ingredients for 6-8 people

400g minced beef

400g minced pork

1 small cup olive oil

3 garlic cloves

2 slices stale bread,

1 cup red wine

½ teaspoon cumin

salt & black pepper

frying oil

for the sauce:

2 cups tomato sauce

1 onion

1/2 teaspoon sugar

olive oil

cayenne pepper

Directions

Mix the minced meat with the grated garlic, olive oil, bread (which has to be soaked in red wine and drained well beforehand), cumin, salt and pepper.

Shape the meatballs giving them an elongated shape; roll them on flour and fry them in hot oil.

Boil the sauce with the finely chopped onion, some olive oil, salt, pepper and half a teaspoon of sugar until it’s thick.

Place the fried meatballs in the sauce and leave for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with cayenne pepper.

Editing & photoshoot :
Stella Spanou
Author of Cooking Books, Award Winning Photographer

Tigania with wine

Macedonian

Ingredients for 4 people

1 kg pork

1 large onion

1 cup water

1 green pepper

1 small cup olive oil

1 cup white wine

salt

oregano

Directions

Chop the meat into small pieces, rinse thoroughly under cold water and drain.

Place the pieces of meat in a deep pan, add enough water to cover them and cook over low heat until they are tender and the water is absorbed.

Pour the oil in the pan and fry the meat along with the chopped onion and pepper until there is a crust on the meat.Add the wine and sprinkle some salt and oregano over the dish.

Editing & photoshoot :
Stella Spanou
Author of Cooking Books, Award Winning Photographer

Tziyerosarmas

Thracian

Ingredients for 6-8 people

1 goat pluck

1 bunch green onions

some mint

some dill

1 small cup olive oil

1 cup rice (carolina variety)

the caul fat of the goat

1 cup water

4 tablespoons vinegar

salt

black pepper

Directions

Rinse the goat pluck under cold water and put it in a saucepan with the vinegar and some water.Then boil for 15 minutes and drain.

Chop the goat pluck and the green onions into small pieces.

Sauté the onions and the meat for ten minutes and then add the rice, water and stir until the ingredients absorb the broth.

Sprinkle with the dill, the mint, salt and pepper.

Grease a medium sized baking tray and spread the caul fat in a shallow bowl (the caul fat spreads if it’s rinsed under warm water).

Cut the caul fat depending on the size of the bowl, so that the length of the caul fat is slightly protruding; put 2 tablespoons of the filling and roll.Turn the tziyerosarma upside down and place it in the pan.

Pour some water into the pan and bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for 45 minutes until they turn brown.

Editing & photoshoot :
Stella Spanou
Author of Cooking Books, Award Winning Photographer

Herse

Cappadocian

Ingredients for 4-6 people

1 kg beef in pieces

1 small chicken

1 onion

2 green onions

1 & ½ cup korkoto*

olive oil

salt and paprika

Directions

Boil the meat in a large pot.Boil the chicken in the meat’s broth.Remove the skin and bones from the chicken and chop it in small pieces.Drain the water and boil the korkoto in the same pan, after we rinse it thoroughly.

Place all the ingredients in a large pot and stir until they start melting.

Chop the onions and sauté them with some paprika; pour some of this sauce over the dish before serving.

*Korkoto: broken wheat

Editing & photoshoot :
Stella Spanou
Author of Cooking Books, Award Winning Photographer

Pork with pickled cabbage

Eastern Romelia

Ingredients for 4 people

1kg pork in servings

1 large onion

1 tablespoon paprika

1 small cup olive oil

2 glasses of water

½ kg picked cabbage

cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon flour

1 grated carrot

Directions

Rinse the meat thoroughly under cold water.Pour the olive oil in a pot, add the meat and the grated onion and sauté until there is a crust on the meat and the onion is golden.Sprinkle with salt and paprika, add the water and cook over medium heat for an hour.

Rinse the pickled cabbage and chop in small pieces.Place the cabbage, along with the grated carrot and a spoonful of flour, in the pot and let them boil for about half an hour on medium heat.The dish does not need much stirring.Add the cayenne pepper just before you remove it from the stove.

Editing & photoshoot :
Stella Spanou
Author of Cooking Books, Award Winning Photographer

Pork with leek & celery

Macedonian

Ingredients for 4-6 people

1 kg pork (the shoulder)

1 cup olive oil

1 kg leeks

1 bunch celery without the root

2 onions

2 eggs

1 lemon

1 tablespoon flour

Directions

Rinse and cut the meat into servings and strain it well.Chop the onions and sauté them along with the meat until it forms a crust; add enough water to cover the meat and boil for 45 minutes.

Chop the celery and leeks into large chunks and place them in hot water for a few minutes before adding them to the pot with the meat.Let the food boil for half an hour over medium heat. Beat the eggs while slowly adding the lemon juice with the flour and some broth. Stir and pour lemon sauce over the dish.

Editing & photoshoot :
Stella Spanou
Author of Cooking Books, Award Winning Photographer