Keftedes (Greek meatballs)
Bifteki with potatoes and tomato salad
Keftedes (or keftedakia) are a staple in most Greek kitchens (especially mine!). I can safely say I make these at least once a week. The Greek Taverna’s mainly serve these as a meze whilst the larger version – bifteki- generally cooked on charcoals and is served as the main.
Even though we have them at home so often, every time we are on our Greek holidays, we alway order them for meze.
You can have them stuffed with feta - bifteki stuffed with feta is so tasty! You can have them cooked in a tomato based sauce, served with spaghetti or rice. You can simply enjoy them plain.
There are many variations even with what meats you use. Pork, veal, lamb or beef, even combine pork and veal for a nice combination, I prefer to make mine with beef. And most regions have there own way of cooking them, with different herbs, some with spices.
This is my mums recipe and I assure you, you will love!
Ingredients
1 kilo beef mince
4 slices of stale bread soaked in milk
1 onion (large) super finely chopped,
1 egg
1/2 tablespoon Olive Oil
1 tablespoon White Vinegar
1 cup shredded continental parsley
Salt and Pepper
Olive for frying
Makes about 40 small or 20 large keftedes
Instructions
Drain excess milk from the bread and put in a food processor to crumb
In a bowl combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly until all combined
Roll the mince mixture in little balls and fry, turning them over frequently until they have cooked through
Ready to serve
I serve these with a Greek salad, lemony roasted potatoes and bread. Greek food is simple to make and so tasty to eat!
Saganaki
Each time we go on our Greek holiday, my husband Jim and I always make a pact - we always tell each other, this time we will go easy with food. No saganaki, no ordering mezedes, cut the bread, no fried zucchini, skip the buffet breakfasts. No saganaki. No saganaki. NO SAGANAKI!
The sentiment doesn’t last long. Our first night in Greece we order zucchini, saganaki, horiatiki salata (Greek salad), , souvlaki kalamaki, a glass of rosé (for me), a bottle of Mythos beer (for him). The standard ‘we-are-now-in-Greece’ order!
The word saganaki means small vesse/fry pan (the ‘aki’ in the word means small) that this heavenly meze is fried in. And yes its fried - fried cheese. All crispy on the outside and warm and oozy in the centre. Squeeze some lemon on top and it’s just amazing.
There are many varieties to choose from. Some are wrapped in filo pastry, fried golden and drizzled with honey and sesame seeds. Others use different cheese - kefalotiri, keflograviera, manouri, haloumi, feta - but they all taste amazing.
In Greece, other dishes cooked in saganaki style include prawns, peppers, eggs - so make sure you order correctly!
One of my very favourite saganaki cheese’s is from Yialo Yialo at Platys Gialos in Mykonos. There’s is coated, then drizzled with honey and sesame seeds. So tasty!
Cheese Saganaki Recipe
- 250 grams kefalograviera (or similar)
- Flour for dusting
- Olive oil for the pan
- Lemon to squeeze on top when finished
Cut the cheese into a 2 centimetre thick slice, dust with flour and pan fry in hot oil. After a couple minutes, squeeze some lemon on top and serve with crusty bread - and most importantly enjoy!
Greek Salad
Let’s pause for a moment to honour the Greek Salad (horiatiki). This amazing salad is a staple at my home and every other Greek household.
Whether at a Greek taverna or at home - whatever main you have, it must always be served with a Greek salad.
Every Greek taverna has a version of this. A standard order is meze, Greek Salad, main and fruit or sweets!
All you need to recreate it at home are some red, juicy, sweet tomatoes, crisp refreshing cucumber, onion, peppers, olives and Greek feta … along with salt, olive oil and a splash of vinegar and the magic happens. There are heaps of variations - adding barley rusk and/or capers is a popular choice on the Greek Islands.
It’s amazing how something so simple tastes so good!
Greek Salad Recipe
- 3 good quality large tomatoes
- 1 cucumber
- 1 medium Spanish onion
- 200 grams Greek feta (never use any other feta - Greek feta is the best)
- 1/2 cup Kalamata olives
- 1 banana chilli (optional)
- Salt & pepper
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
Make sure you order this when you are next in Greece!