Thessalonian Fish & Roasted Lemon Chicken
Thessaly is a part of Eastern Greece bordering on the Aegean Sea, and this is one of their
favorite ways of cooking the seafood that is plentiful there. For a truly authentic taste
you'll need the sweet red Greek wine called mavrodaphne, but a good ruby port makes an
excellent substitute.
Thessalonian Fish (Plaki Thessaloniki)
1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil 2 lbs (900 g) fillets of firm white fish such as halibut, sea
bass, or cod
4 onions, thinly sliced
2-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 15-oz (425 g) can chopped tomatoes with their liquid
1/2 cup (125 ml) Greek mavrodaphne wine or other sweet red wine
1/2 cup (125 ml) chopped parsley
1 tsp (5 ml) chopped fresh oregano or 1/2 tsp (2 ml) dried
1/4 tsp (1 ml) ground cinnamon
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Use half the oil to grease a baking dish and place the fish in the dish in a single layer.
Set aside. Heat the remaining oil in a large skillet over moderate heat and saute the
onions and garlic until tender but not brown, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining
ingredients and simmer covered for 10 minutes. Pour the sauce over the fish and bake in a
preheated 350F (180C) oven until the fish is firm and cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.
Serves 4 to 6.
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It really takes only two ingredients to conjure up the flavors of Greece: lemon and
oregano. This simple method of cooking chicken is as old as the hills and can be used with
fish and shellfish as well.
Roasted Lemon Chicken (Psiti Kota meh Lemoni)
4 Tbs (60 ml) butter
4 Tbs (60 ml) olive oil
2 lbs (900 g) chicken pieces
1 Tbs (15 ml) dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup (60 ml) lemon juice
2 cups (500 ml) boiling water
2 Tbs (30 ml) cornstarch (cornflour) mixed with
1/4 cup (60 ml) cold water
Combine the butter and olive oil in a small pot and heat gently until the butter is
melted. Place half the mixture in a roasting pan. Season the chicken pieces with the
oregano, salt, and pepper, and place in the pan. Combine the lemon juice with the
remaining butter mixture and baste the chicken with it. Bake the chicken in a 375F (190C)
oven, basting several times, until the skin is crispy and the chicken is cooked through,
30 to 40 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a platter and add the boiling water to the
roasting pan, scraping the bottom to dissolve the brown bits. Transfer the liquid to a
small pot over moderate heat and stir in the cornstarch mixture. Add any remaining basting
liquid and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper
and serve the gravy along with the chicken. Serves 4 to 6.
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