Doriti says: “Although there are several variations of this popular dish, it is most commonly prepared in a tomato sauce with melting crumbled feta. Its name derives from the pan in which it is traditionally cooked, which is called ‘sagani’ or ‘saganaki’ (a diminutive for sagani), a round and shallow pan with two small handles that can be used both on the stovetop and in the oven. Other common recipes prepared in a saganaki pan and named after it include ingredients such as mussels and cheese. This is a very fast dish to prepare and a very rewarding one. If you don’t have ouzo, you can use brandy or white wine instead. Ideally, use whole prawns (shrimp) for this as the heads add the best flavour. I love serving it straight from the pan with warm, crusty bread to dunk into the delicious sauce. This recipe can also be used as a sauce to mix with pasta, or served over a bowl of rice or quinoa. But first try it plain and, most importantly, share it!”

Serves 4 as a sharing plate

Ingredients

• 300g (10½oz) shell-on medium prawns (shrimp), fresh or frozen (defrosted if frozen) 
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced into thin slivers
• 2 bay leaves
• 1–2 sprigs of thyme
• 150ml (5fl oz) ouzo*
• 200g (7oz) teardrop or cherry tomatoes, halved
• 270g (10oz) tomato passata (sieved tomatoes)
• 50ml (2fl oz) warm water
• 70g (2½oz) Kalamata olives, pitted
• 60g (2oz) feta, crumbled**
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Extra virgin olive oil, to serve

Method

Peel and clean/devein the prawns (shrimp), keeping their heads and tails in place. Season with a little salt and pepper and set aside.

Place a large, ovenproof pan over a medium heat, heat half the olive oil and sauté the prawns for 1–2 minutes just until they change colour. Transfer to a plate. In the same pan, heat the remaining oil and sauté the onion until soft and glossy. Add the garlic, bay leaves and thyme, stir for another minute, then pour in the ouzo. Give it a couple of minutes to infuse, then add the halved tomatoes, stir and pour in the passata and warm water. Season with a little salt (keep in mind that you‘ll be adding feta and olives which are salty) and plenty of pepper, lower the heat to medium and let it cook for 5–8 minutes until the sauce thickens. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 210°C/190°C fan/410°F/gas mark 6½. Return the prawns to the pan, add the olives and sprinkle the crumbled feta on top. Transfer the pan to the oven and cook for another 15 minutes, or until the feta starts melting. Remove from the oven, drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil and serve immediately.

*A dry, anise-flavoured liquor which is served as an aperitif or accompanies food. It is made with a grape or grain distillate in traditional copper cauldrons, flavoured with a variety of herbs, seeds and spices. Uniquely Greek (it can only be made in Greece and Cyprus), it is commonly served diluted in iced water.

**Without doubt the best known, most widespread and versatile of Greek cheeses, a PDO product and the star of myriad Greek dishes. Made primarily with sheep’s milk and sometimes an addition of up to 30 per cent goat’s milk, feta ranges from the very soft, creamy and buttery, to hard, spicy and salty; the more it ages, the harder and spicier it gets.

Doriti says: “Gigantes (giants) or elefantes (elephants) is what Greeks call large white butter beans, due to their size. These are particularly popular in Greece and are mostly grown in the country’s northwest region, famously in Prespes and Kastoria, both stunning lake regions with a PGI (Protected Geographic Indication) for giant beans. Another variety of these types of bean, also produced in the same region, is dark in colour, tasting similar to roasted chestnuts. Typically in Greece, giant beans are baked; it’s quite common to add sliced sausage, spinach or other seasonal leafy greens, such as chard and sorrel, along with plenty of aromatic herbs. The recipes that include greens often skip the tomato, with the beans simply baked in olive oil and lemon juice. Most important for success here, as with most recipes featuring pulses, is the quality of the beans. I buy them dried and I make sure they are from the same year’s harvest. The actual time they will require to boil properly always depends on their quality and freshness. Serve this with some crusty bread and feta, if you like.”

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 250g (9oz) dried giant beans (butter beans)
• 1 bay leaf
• 250ml (9fl oz) olive oil, plus 3 tbsp
• 1 large onion, roughly chopped
• 1 leek, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
• 200g (7oz) fennel bulb, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 5 spring onions (scallions), including the green part, chopped
• 500g (1lb 2oz) spinach, trimmed and roughly chopped (or left whole if not too big)
• 200g (7oz) Swiss chard, trimmed and roughly chopped
• Juice of 1 lemon (or more to taste)
• 2 tbsp chopped dill
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Soak the beans overnight in plenty of water. The next day, drain and place in a large pot. Cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat, drain and cover again with plenty of fresh water. Return to the heat, add a little salt and the bay leaf, and bring to a gentle boil. Simmer for 40–60 minutes or until the beans are tender but not overcooked.

Drain, reserving 160ml (5½fl oz) of the cooking water. While the beans are cooking, place a large pan over a medium-high heat. Add the 3 tablespoons of olive oil and sauté the onion, leek and fennel. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the ground coriander. Cook, stirring, until everything begins to soften. Add the garlic and spring onions (scallions) and stir for another minute. 

Mix in the spinach and chard, adding in batches in order to wilt them down before adding the next. Adjust the seasoning and spoon the contents of the pan into the base of a deep baking tin (pan) or dish, making sure you scrape everything from the pan. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/ 400°F/gas mark 6. Season the drained beans with salt and pepper and arrange them on top of the greens. 

Pour in the reserved cooking water from the beans and 80ml (2¾fl oz) of the olive oil, cover and bake in the oven for 20–30 minutes until the sauce has thickened. Uncover, mix in the remaining olive oil, the lemon juice and chopped herbs, then return to the oven, uncovered, for another 15 minutes or until they look almost caramelized. 

Doriti says: “This is one of my favourite Greek comfort dishes. It’s popular all over the country and is most commonly prepared with egg and lemon sauce, like this one, or – often during summer – in a tomato-based broth. It was a dish prepared by Greeks settled in Asia Minor who popularized it in Greece in the early 1920s, along with several other recipes that greatly shaped what is called the Urban Athenian Cuisine. What makes the Greek version different to others is the use of egg and lemon sauce, and the herbs or spices. In parts of northern Greece and particularly in Naoussa (a famous wine region), this dish is also known as koukoulia (which means cocoons). Yiouvarlakia is usually prepared with plain minced (ground) beef or a combination of half beef, half pork. The sauce here works both as a flavour enhancer and as a thickener for the broth, giving the soup a lovely creamy consistency. Good bread is essential when serving this dish – trust me.”

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

• 120g (4oz) medium-grain white rice 
• 750g (1lb 10½oz) minced (ground) beef
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 large carrot, grated
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp chopped mint
• 2 tbsp chopped dill, plus extra to serve
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• 100ml (3½fl oz) olive oil
• 2 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

For the broth:

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 leek, chopped
• 1 celeriac (celery root), peeled and diced into 2cm (¾-inch) cubes (prepared weight 450g/1lb)
• 2 potatoes, peeled and cut into 1.5cm (½ inch) cubes
• 3 carrots, cut into 1.5cm (½ inch) cubes
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 litres (70fl oz) warm vegetable stock or water
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the avgolemono: 

• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 90ml (6 tbsp) lemon juice
• 1 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)

Method

To make the meatballs, rinse the rice and soak in cold water for 15–20 minutes.

Drain and let dry. Place the beef in a bowl. Add the onion, carrot, egg, chopped herbs, olive oil, rice, salt and black pepper. Combine well, then cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes. (You can fry a small amount of the mixture to check for seasoning, adding more salt if necessary). Remove from the refrigerator, shape into about 30–35 round meatballs and set aside. Place a large pot over a medium-high heat. Add the 3 tablespoons of olive oil and sauté the leek, celeriac (celery root), potatoes, carrots and bay leaf for 4–5 minutes. Pour in the stock or water, season with salt and pepper to taste and bring to the boil. 

Carefully add the meatballs to the soup, one at a time. Bring the heat down to low, cover and gently simmer for 30–35 minutes. Adjust the seasoning if necessary and remove from the heat. Ladle about 250ml (9fl oz) of soup through a sieve into a heatproof jug (pitcher), returning any vegetables to the soup after straining. Separate the eggs. Beat the whites into a light meringue, then whisk in the egg yolks, one at a time. In a medium bowl, mix the lemon juice and cornflour (cornstarch) until the cornflour dissolves. Gradually pour in the reserved strained soup, while whisking. Now, slowly pour this mixture into the eggs, whisking constantly until smooth and fluffy. Pour it into the soup, place the lid on the pot and, holding the pot well with both hands to secure the lid, shake the pot to mix. Return the pot to the stovetop and turn the heat to low. Gently simmer for a couple of minutes, shaking the pot occasionally. (This way you prevent ruining the meatballs by stirring it properly with a spoon.) Serve with chopped dill and ground black pepper.