Last Tuesday morning we went from Kos to Kalymnos on the Dodecanese Express Catamaran www.12ne.gr to Pothia and coming back on the fast boat to Mastihari that night. There we met up with our good buddy Bill Psaros and after a trip to the wonderful new archaelogical museum we were driven by his god-daughter’s father Manolis Kalitkatzaeos (+ 069790 72221 if you want to book a reliable taxi on Kalymnos) to the little cove at Vlichádia . This is mainly a summer community literally at the end of the road facing a small beach and peaceful cove. There are three small and attractive tavernas and an interesting "Sea World Museum" run by the colourful Vaslamidis brothers. The people here are very friendly and greet many of the repeat visitors who seek out its tranquility. The Sea World Museum in Vlichádia is open 10-14. It has every attractive and extensive shell collection along with other odds and ends from the sea.
Museum
http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2008/02/kalymnos-island-of-sponge-divers.html
Kalymnos has some unique features including a distinct musical tradition, an attachment to Byzantine girls’ names for its daughters and some excellent local dishes. Try "mousouri" - stuffed lamb oven-cooked in an earthen pot, mostly on Easter. The "'ptazimo" (bread kneaded in anise and ouzo), "phyla" (also known as "dolmades", stuffed vine leaves), "mirmizeli" (barley flour bread kneaded in olive oil, tomato and cheese), "anama" (celebrated local wine), octopus on the charcoal grill, fish and spinialo (sea food in a rich lemon sauce) and traditional "Galaktoboureko"(cream pastry) for desert.
Cove at Vlichádia
All the tavernas here offer good home cooked fare and freshly caught fish. We went into the one called The Sponge Divers beside the museum which is also owned by the Vaslamidis family and here we broke bread with our great friend and enjoyed a typical Kalymnian seafood lunch whilst drinking in the peace and tranquillity of this lovely place. Here is what we had and the recipes.
Cheese Saganaki
In Greek: σαγανάκι (pronounced sah-ghah-NAH-kee). Saganaki dishes take their name from the pan in which they are made. A sagani is a two-handled pan that is made in many different materials. In the market, look for a small paella pan, small cast iron skillet, or even an oval au gratin dish.
Serve this as an appetizer, as an hors d'oeuvre, or as part of a meal made up of a varied selection of mezes. The key to success with this dish is to get the oil hot (before it starts to smoke) before frying. For traditional Saganaki you would use Kefalograviera or Kasseri (traditional Greek cheese made from goat or ewe's milk).
Ingredients
250 gr. any hard cheese, Kefalograviera, Kasseri, Parmesan, Gruyere or Greek Cypriot haloumi, 50 grams butter ,lemon juice of 1/2 lemon, black pepper.
Preparation method
Cut the cheese into 1 cm thick slices. Heat the butter in a frying pan and put the slices in. Turn the heat down a little and let it cook for 1-2 minutes until it bubbles. It should not turn brown, but should look creamy and sticky. In Greece the cheese is usually cooked in small frying pans, so they can be taken straight to the table. Sprinkle a little lemon juice on top and some black pepper and offer it with fresh bread.
Sometimes this is brought to the table and finished off with some Metaxa Brandy in which case the following procedure is added;
Add some Brandy.
Ignite the Brandy. (This is dangerous, be careful!)
Yell "OPA!"
Squeeze a slice of the lemon over the cheese to douse the flame.
Serve immediately!
Tarmosalata
An explosion of flavours marks this exquisite appetizer. Surprisingly simple to make and the result is a true Greek delicacy. This is perhaps the most popular of the Greek appetizer dips and done fresh tastes better than any of the supermarket “luxury” brands.
Ingredients
125g of smoked cod’s roe
35g of white bread
Quarter of a fat clove of garlic
Pinch of smoked paprika
3 dessert spoons of groundnut oil
2 dessert spoons of virgin olive oil
1 dessert spoon of fresh lemon juice
The Sponge Divers Taverna
Method
Wet the bread under the tap and squeeze out the water place in the food processor.
Chop the garlic very fine and add to the bowl.
Remove the skin from the smoked cod’s roe and add to the bowl. Pulse to combine the ingredients. With the motor running add the oils a desert spoonful at a time. Finally add the lemon juice and a large pinch of smoked paprika. It tastes better if kept in the fridge for at least an hour before serving.
Serve with pitta or flatbreads or Greek style just with crusty bread.
Greek Salad
Greek salad, or horiatiki, is a rough country salad of juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumber, sliced red onion, green pepper, crumbly feta cheese and plump kalamata olives. Serve this delightful combination as a side dish or as a light meal with some crusty bread. Tomatoes, red onion and cucumbers are dressed with good olive oil and finished with feta cheese.
Ingredients
3 large ripe tomatoes cut into medium pieces or wedges
2 cucumbers, sliced
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 tablespoons olive oil (preferably extra virgin)
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
3/4 (200g) pack feta cheese
A handful of black Greek olives, pitted if desired
Preparation method
In a shallow salad bowl, combine tomatoes, cucumber and onion. Sprinkle with salt to taste and let sit for a few minutes so that the salt can draw out the natural juices from the tomato and cucumber.
Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with oregano, and pepper to taste. Place a generous slice of feta cheese and olives over salad. Serve.
Tips:
Letting the salted tomatoes and cucumbers sit for awhile before adding any oil is essential to a good Greek salad. The natural acidic juices from the tomato combine with the olive oil to make a delicious dressing, with no need for vinegar or lemon juice. Crusty bread is also a must so you can mop up every last bit of juice!
Whereas most recipes seem to suggest crumbled feta cheese on the Greek islands they generally put a slab of cheese on top and leave you to break it up, it is a better visual presentation. Avoid the bland “Danish” fetas in the supermarkets and try to get proper Greek or Cypriot Feta. In Greece a Large feta was bought in the autumn and kept in a barrel of brine over the winter for use in the spring / summer. As the year goes on the cheese gets stronger and better!
Grilled whole fish
Fish - taken with a time delay camera
Traditionally in Greece you are expected to go into the kitchen and pick the fresh fish you want which is charged by weight. It is then scaled, filleted and cleaned and normally just fried or grilled with some good olive oil.
1 kg (2 1/2 lb) bream, carp or pomfret, cleaned and scaled if necessary
1 fresh red chilli, seeded and ground, or 5 ml (1 tsp) chopped chilli from a jar
4 garlic cloves, crushed
2.5 cm (1 in) fresh root ginger, peeled and sliced
4 spring onions, chopped
juice of 1/2 lemon
30 ml (2 tbsp) sunflower oil
salt
Method
1. Rinse the fish and dry it well inside and out with absorbent kitchen paper. Slash two or three times through the fleshy part on each side of the fish.
2. Place the chilli, garlic, ginger and spring onions in a food processor and blend to a paste, or grind the mixture together with a pestle and mortar. Add the lemon juice and salt, then stir in the oil.
3. Spoon a little of the mixture inside the fish and pour the rest over the top. Turn the fish to coat it completely in the spice mixture and leave to marinate for at least an hour.
4. Preheat the grill/broiler. Place a long strip of double foil under the fish to support it and to make turning it over easier. Put on a rack in a grill pan and cook under the hot grill for 5 minutes on one side and 8 minutes on the second side, basting with the marinade during cooking. Serve with a tomato and onion salad.
Galaktoboureko
Galaktoboureko is a traditional Greek dessert made with custard in a crispy filo pastry shell – it is a sticky desert as if semolina pudding has been mated with Baklava! Kalymnos is reputed to have the best and I have sampled it in Apostoli’s Kafeoin on the Harbour and our Greek friends recommend a lovely bakery called Vourlis just beyond the taxi rank in Pothia.
http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2008/03/harbour-front-at-pothia-kalymnos.html
Ingredients
1.4L full fat milk
170g semolina
3 1/2 tablespoons cornflour
200g caster sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 eggs
100g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
175g butter, melted
12 sheets filo pastry
250ml water
200g caster sugar
Preparation method
Pour milk into a large saucepan, and bring to the boil over medium heat. In a medium bowl, whisk together the semolina, cornflour, 200g sugar and salt so there are no cornflour clumps. When milk comes to the boil, gradually add the semolina mixture, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Cook, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens and comes to a full boil. Remove from heat, and set aside. Keep warm.
In a large bowl, beat eggs with an electric mixer at high speed. Add 100g of sugar, and whip until thick and pale, about 10 minutes. Stir in vanilla.
Fold the whipped eggs into the hot semolina mixture. Partially cover the pan, and set aside to cool.
Preheat the oven to 180 C / Gas 4.
Butter a 22x33cm baking dish, and layer 7 sheets of filo into the dish, brushing each one with butter as you lay it in. Pour the custard into the dish over the filo, and cover with the remaining 5 sheets of filo, brushing each sheet with butter as you lay it down.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, until the top is crisp and the custard filling has set.
In a small saucepan, stir together the remaining sugar and water. Bring to the boil. When the Galaktoboureko comes out of the oven, spoon the hot sugar syrup over the top, particularly the edges. Cool completely before cutting and serving. Store in the refrigerator.
Good Appetite!
καλή όρεξη (kali oreksi).
Farewell to Pothia
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