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!
Food guide - Naousa Paros
Where to eat in Naousa, Paros
Having visited Naousa, Paros in the past, I never considered it a foodie hub. There is no reason why it shouldn’t be - with so much fresh produce, fish and amazing wine - but it was never at the top of my mind. But the last time we stayed here, for our Greek holidays in summer of 2018, the manager of our hotel, Mr & Mrs White, gave us a list of places to try. And boy, it was a good list - the man knows his food! Forget the beaches, now I want to go to Naoussa just to eat!
Image via Statheros
The first place he said we MUST try was Statheros Restaurant. Located just off the seafront in the narrow streets of Naousa, the food is mainly authentic Greek share food (meze) and it's amazing! The friendly owner, watched on lovingly by her Papou (grandpa), told us the must-have food of the day and we just went along and enjoyed every morsel. We had keftedes with tzatziki, roughly cut, crispy potatoes, dakos salad with home-made myzithra (a type of Greek cheese), the cod with skordalia (potato and garlic dip) and it was all so so good. The piece-de-resistance was the saganaki of prawns (compliments of the house), with a hint of chilli and abundance of lemon juice - I could just eat that all day every day. Please take the time to find this hidden gem, it is so worth it!
Stuffed eggplant with onion & feta
The next place recommended to us was Kafenio, in Palia Agora (old shops) Naousa. You will easily find this tiny restaurant because of the queue waiting for a table. But it is definitely well worth the wait! Without even realising it, everything we ordered was either vegetarian or vegan and was out of this world! We ordered kolokithokeftedes (zucchini fritters), stuffed eggplant, dolmades, chickpea casserole and, of course, a horiatiki salad (Greek salad). The food kept on coming and I was in foodie heaven.
The meze at Yemeni
Other honourable mentions are of course Barbarossa right on the water, with its fabulous views! Yemeni Taverna, which has great moussaka.
There are a plethora of places to eat in Naousa, some with beach views others with views of the little side streets, all you need to know is that the food is fresh, in most cases local and the people are so inviting.
Our beautiful suite at Mr & Mrs White
Where we stayed
Mr & Mrs White, a brisk 15-minute walk into Naoussa town. We stayed in the two-floor residence, a stylish space with your laid-back Cycladic minimal interiors. This chic hotel offers two pool areas, a great buffet breakfast and wonderful staff.
Highlights
The food! In amongst all the shops and hidden in little lanes, some of the tastiest, freshest food I have ever eaten!
Important tip
There is a great local winery called Moraitis just on the outskirts of Naousa that has been making wine since 1910. It's well worth popping in and sampling their wines but if you don't get a chance, many restaurants and tavernas around town offer it on their menus.
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!
