# Pork Braised with Chilies **Chef:** Raj **Cookbook:** Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat **Potluck Date:** November 18, 2023 --- ## Recipe braised in olive oil There is a whole category of recipes in Greek cuisine called ladera, meaning ‘in oil’ or ‘oily’. These are seasonal vegetable dishes that are mostly stewed, in either a tomato or lemon sauce, and with a generous amount of olive oil that is added towards the end of cooking to thicken the sauce and add flavour. Many of these recipes evolved from the Byzantine era and the Christian Orthodox tradition, when the Lents and the weekly fasting were entrenched. This style of cooking greatly defines the essence of the Mediterranean and Greek diet. Recipes of such kind are very popular and are commonly prepared in the average Greek household on a weekly basis, typically using green beans, broad (fava) beans, artichokes, peas, aubergine (eggplant), courgettes (zucchini), okra, leeks and cauliflower. The quality of the olive oil and its flavour will naturally affect the result, and for this I use Koroneiki extra virgin olive oil from the Peloponnese. Stewed peas are among the most popular ladera dishes; they complement the simplicity of flavours in this dish and glorify the presence of olive oil in cooking. I add leeks here for their wonderful yet subtle sweetness. It is due to these delicious and simple vegetable dishes that we Greeks consume so much feta and bread … do serve these alongside to wipe your dish with! SERVES 4–6 80ml (2¾fl oz) olive oil, plus 120ml (4fl oz) to finish 2 large onions, chopped 4 leeks, trimmed and cut into rounds 3cm (1¼ inch) thick 2 bay leaves 3 garlic cloves, chopped 3 carrots, cut into 2cm (¾ inch) batons, or sliced 2 potatoes, halved lengthwise then each half quartered 1kg (2lb 3oz) peas, fresh or frozen ¼ tsp ground cinnamon Pinch of ground allspice 80g (3oz) tomato purée (paste), diluted in 150ml (5fl oz) water 300ml (10fl oz) warm vegetable stock or water 4–5 tbsp chopped dill Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper It is best to use a large, wide and fairly shallow pan with a well-fitting lid so the vegetables will cook without losing their shape or going too mushy. Place your pan over a medium-high heat and pour in the 80ml (2¾fl oz) olive oil. Add the onions and sauté for about 6 minutes until soft and glossy. Add the leeks and bay leaves, and gently cook with the onions until the leeks slightly soften. Add the garlic, carrots, potatoes and peas. Season with salt and black pepper, and add the cinnamon and allspice. Gently stir and pour in the diluted tomato purée (paste), followed by the warm stock or water. Bring the heat down to medium-low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, then remove the lid and continue to simmer for another 15 minutes, until the sauce is thickened. Pour in the 120ml (4fl oz) olive oil and add the dill. Adjust the seasoning if necessary, gently shake the pot without stirring, and simmer over a low heat for another 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it rest for 10– 15 minutes before serving. Mashed potatoes with olive oil, roast garlic and herbs Potatoes reached Europe during the 16 th century, alongside other goods imported from the New World. Potatoes, however, didn’t reach Greece until after the Greek War of Independence in 1821 and the emergence of the Modern Greek state in 1830. In fact, it was Ioannis Kapodistrias, the first governor of the newly founded state, who initiated the import of potatoes into the country. He believed that this filling and nutritious tuber would be an ideal food for poor, post-war Greeks. The Greeks, however, didn’t trust the new ingredient and when he tried to offer potatoes to farmers in Nafplion, they threw them away! To make them change their minds, Kapodistrias followed the example of Antoine-Augustin Parmentier, the Frenchman who made the French love potatoes. Kapodistrias decided to stop offering them for free. Instead, he started treating them as a superior ingredient. He stored them, fenced them, and he installed guards who pretended to keep watch over them. People started sneaking in to steal them, and within a week all the potatoes were gone. The best kind of Greek potato is the Naxos variety (a PGI – Protected Geographic Indication – product), which itself instigated the development of cow breeding on the island; locals also noticed that with the use of cow manure, the potatoes grew larger and tastier. The Naxos potato variety is nowadays cultivated in other parts of Greece as well and is the kind of potato I usually go for. For a variation, mix in about half a cup of crumbled feta; in which case, season with salt after the feta has been added. SERVES 4–6 1 large head of garlic 1kg (2lb 3oz) potatoes (ideal for mashing), peeled and cut into chunks ½ lemon 1 sprig of thyme 130ml (4½fl oz) olive oil 1–2 tbsp chopped thyme, parsley or dill Sea salt and white pepper Preheat the oven to 210°C/190°C fan/410°F/gas mark 6½. Cut the top off the head of garlic, wrap in baking parchment and then in foil. Bake in the oven for 30–40 minutes, until soft. Squeeze out all the creamy roasted garlic cloves into a bowl and set aside. Meanwhile, place a large saucepan over a medium-high heat. Add the potatoes, lemon half and thyme sprig, cover with cold water, add salt and bring to the boil. Reduce to medium-low and let simmer for about 15–20 minutes until the potatoes are fork-tender. Drain, reserving 200ml (7fl oz) of the cooking water. Transfer the potatoes to a large bowl and mash thoroughly using a potato masher or a hand-held mixer on a low speed. (Do not use a food processor because the potatoes will turn gummy.) Gradually start adding some of the reserved cooking water, 1 tablespoon at a time. This will help you smooth it further and bring it to the right consistency. Add the garlic purée and salt and white pepper to taste, and continue to mash. Gradually start adding the olive oil until it is all incorporated. Finally, mix in the chopped herbs, adjust the seasoning if necessary, and serve. LEAF Greece is one of the richest countries in the world for natural, aromatic herbs and edible weeds; it is estimated that over 6,600 kinds of natural herbs grow in Greece, 1,600 of which are listed as medicinal aromatic herbs. These include well known herbs such as rosemary and sage, but also very rare varieties that grow just in specific regions of Greece or in a few parts of the world, such as red oregano. Here are two of my favourite recipes using olive leaves; one a nice, healing herbal tea and the other a jelly (jello), which is light and refreshing and not too sweet (I only use honey and fresh fruit juice to sweeten jellies). Herbs in these recipes add a discreet yet unique aroma and a pleasant flavour. Dried olive leaves can be found in speciality stores, delis and online. To make easy fresh pomegranate juice, squeeze it just like you would an orange in a citrus juicer. Olive leaf, hibiscus and pomegranate jelly MAKES 1 LARGE JELLY OR 8–10 INDIVIDUAL JELLIES 4 tbsp dried olive tree leaves 4 tbsp dried hibiscus 4 tbsp lemon verbena 2–3 pared strips of lemon zest (using a swivel peeler) 8 cloves 30g (1oz) powdered gelatine 230g (8oz) honey 500ml (17fl oz) cold, strained pomegranate juice (see introduction) Seeds from 1 large pomegranate Bring 1.5 litres (56fl oz) water to the boil in a medium pan, then turn off the heat and add the olive leaves, hibiscus, verbena, lemon zest and cloves. Cover and let stand for a couple of hours until it turns a deep ruby colour. Strain though a very fine sieve or cheesecloth. Pour 200ml (7fl oz) of the strained room-temperature tea into a small jug (pitcher) or bowl. Sprinkle the gelatine on top and give it 5 minutes to soften. Mix and set aside. Pour 1 litre (34fl oz) of the herbal tea into a saucepan. Place over a medium heat and gently heat. Remove from the heat and mix in the honey and the gelatine mixture until dissolved. Mix the pomegranate juice with the remaining 300ml (10fl oz) room- temperature tea. Finally, combine the warm tea mix with the pomegranat --- *Downloaded from BCBCBath Cookbook Club* *https://bcbcbath.com*