LIFESTYLE

Orthodox Easter: Traditional foods and recipes

Peter Minaki chef & author, The Big Book Of Mediterranean Recipes
Published Thursday, April 9, 2015 7:48AM EDT Last Updated Thursday, April 9, 2015 7:50AM EDT

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Slow-Roasted Leg of Lamb

(serves 8-10)

1 leg of lamb (bone in) or 2 short-cut legs of lamb (6-8lbs.)
1 head of garlic, skins removed and cut into slivers
5 teaspoons fine sea salt
2 teaspoons fresh ground pepper
2 teaspoons. sweet paprika
2 medium onions, peeled & quartered
1 cup dry white wine
2-3 sprigs of fresh rosemary
10 sprigs of fresh thyme
2-3 teaspoons dried Greek oregano
2-3 bay leaves
juice of 2 lemons
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
hot water

Stick a paring knife into the lamb and make a hole, then slip a sliver of garlic. Repeat and insert as many slivers of garlic as you can into the leg.
Pre-heat your oven to 550F and place the rack in the middle position. Drizzle your lamb with some olive oil and season with salt, pepper and paprika. Place the leg of lamb in a roasting pan that just fits the leg. Place in your pre-heated oven and roast uncovered for about 10-15 minutes or until browned, then flip the leg and roast for another 10-15 minutes.
Remove the lamb from the oven and reduce the heat to 350F. Place the quartered onions around the lamb, add any remaining slivers of garlic, add the herbs (thyme, bay, rosemary, oregano) and squeeze in the lemon juice and pour the wine into the pan. Add the olive oil and enough hot water to cover third of the lamb.
Cover and place the lamb back in the oven for 2 hours (add more hot water if needed), baste the lamb once an hour. After two hours, flip the leg of lamb (add more water if necessary and adjust seasoning of liquid with salt and pepper).
After 3 hours, the leg of lamb shoulder be a deep brown and the bones will be exposed and the meat should show signs of separating from the bone. Remove the lamb from the oven, baste with liquid and allow to rest.
Have some peeled potatoes (quartered) to roast in another roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Pour enough pan juices from the lamb leg to come up a third of the way on the potatoes and toss to coat. Taste, adjust seasoning and crank your oven up to 450F and place the potatoes in the oven to roast for 35-40 minutes or until fork-tender (the lamb will stay warm covered in the roasting pan on the stove-top).

Tsoureki (Greek Easter Bread)

(makes about 5 loaves)

1/2 pound unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cups plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
2 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole milk, divided
zest of 1 medium lemon
zest of 1 medium orange
4 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 cup warm/tepid water
12 1/4 cups all purpose flour, sifted and divided
1 tablespoon ground Mahlepi
1/4 teaspoon ground Mastic
6 large eggs, beaten plus 1 large egg, unbeaten, divided
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup sesame seeds

In a large pot over medium low heat, add butter, 2 1/2 cup sugar and 2 1/2 cups milk. Cook for 5 minutes until the butter is melted. Add zest of lemon and orange and orange juice. Set aside but keep warm.]In medium bowl, add yeast, remaining sugar and water. Leave it for 7-10 minutes to allow the yeast to activate. You will see it bubbling. Whisk beaten eggs to reserved milk/butter mixture then whisk entire egg/milk/butter mixture into the bubbling yeast.
In a large bowl, combine 12 cups flour, mahlepi, and mastic. Add the egg/milk/butter mixture into the dry ingredients. Using a wooden spoon or your hands, stir mixture to form dough. Knead dough on a floured (use remaining flour) surface until it is soft and pliable. Place the dough back in the bowl, rub the surface with oil and cover with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to double in size in a warm place (about 2 hours). Punch the dough down and let it rise a second time (about 2 hours).
Divide the dough 15 equal balls. We are making braids here, so work with 3 balls at a time. Cover the remaining balls with a tea towel. Roll each ball into a 12 inch long log. Pinch the top ends of the logs together and then braid the logs. When you get to the end, pinch the bottom ends together. Tuck the top and bottom ends underneath the dough. Place braided loaf on a parchment lined baking sheet. You'll only fit 2 loaves per baking sheet because you need enough room to let the braided loaves rise to double their size. So, braid the dough in batches. Repeat steps with remaining dough.
Pre-heat oven to 350°F. In a small bowl, whisk together remaining egg and milk. Brush the tops of the loaves with the egg/milk mixture and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake (in batches) for 20-25 minutes. Allow the bread to cool completely before serving.

Greek Coffee

Greek coffee
Sugar (1 tsp for sweet, 1/2 tsp for medium/metrio)*
A briki
Demi-tasse cups
Cold water
Side glass of water

Using the demi-tasse cup, measure the amount of cold water will need to make your serving of coffee and add into briki. Add the a teaspoon of coffee in to the briki. Now add the appropriate amount of sugar.
Over medium heat, place the briki on the heat. Do not stir but swirl the briki until the coffee and sugar have dissolved. As soon as the coffee foams, quickly remove from the heat and pour into the demi-tasse.
Allow the coffee grounds to settle to bottom of cup for about a minute before drinking. Sip until you detect a bit of coffee grounds in a sip. Coffee is done.
You want to serve Greek coffee with the foam (kai-maki) and as soon as you start to see the coffee rise and foam, quickly take the briki off the heat and pour into your guests' demi-tasses. A well-made Greek coffee will have a solid layer of “kaimaki” or krema on top. Serve with a glass of cold water and a cookie or a sweet.

Easter Koulourakia

1/2 kg. unsalted butter (room temp.)
7 - 7 1/4 cups all purpose flour
4 large eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1 Tbsp. of baking powder
pinch of baking soda
zest of three oranges
pinch of salt
1 tsp. of ground Mastiha resin (place the mastiha in the freezer for a couple of hours, then remove and place between 2 sheets of cling wrap, crush to a powder with your rolling pin and add to your recipe)
sesame seeds for topping
2 egg yolks + 2 Tbsp. milk for eggwash

Pre-heated 350F oven
Place your soft butter and sugar in a bowl and mix with your hand mixer until creamed. Now add the orange zest, eggs (one at a time), the salt, baking soda, ground mastic and the orange juice.
As always, add your dry to wet using your hands. As the amounts of flour needed in a recipe may vary slightly, add the flour gradually and knead with your hands until the dough is soft but not sticky or tacky. Form into a ball, cover with saran wrap and allow to rest for 30 minutes. During this period, clean up your area and gather your baking sheets and line them with parchment paper.
Using a teaspoon, scoop some dough on your work surface and roll it out with your hand. Now you can form the dough into any shape you wish (I've given you a few ideas in the photos). Continue scooping dough and forming Koulourakia and place on your baking trays.
Whisk your egg yolk and milk and brush the tops of all your Koulourakia (cookies). Sprinkle the tops of the cookies with sesame seeds.
Bake for 20 minutes or until just golden. Allow to cool, remove from the trays and store in airtight containers for up to 6 weeks.

Naturally Dyed Easter Eggs

12 room temperature eggs
For Red Eggs
the skins of approx. 10 medium yellow skinned onions
5 cups of water
2 Tbsp. white vinegar
For Blue Eggs
5 cups of finely chopped purple cabbage
5 cups of water
2 Tbsp. white vinegar

Add your dry ingredients into a pot and pour enough water to cover by over an inch. Bring up to a boil and then simmer for 30 minutes. Take off the heat and allow to cool to warm.
Remove the purple cabbage or onions skins and place the eggs gently in the respective pot. Bring back to boil and simmer for 5 minutes then take off the heat.
Allow the eggs to cool in the dye then transfer to your fridge to set overnight.
Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and allow to air-dry (about 45 minutes). Dab a white paper towel into some vegetable oil and polish then place in the egg carton and store in the fridge until needed.

NOTE: Want to make some other coloured eggs?