Kefalonian Meat Pie

The food in Kefalonia is a bit limited - not much fruit, veg or fish but plenty of good meat. The local pie was the highlight for me, packed with chunks of slow-cooked meat and nicely spiced rice with a crisp pastry top. I shall have a crack it myself soon but in the meantime, here's a real Greek recipe.

Absolutely Delicious Feta Dip

I had the in-laws round for Sunday lunch yesterday but it didn't go quite according to plan. It started well, with Rob and Scrap off out with a list of things to get and me alone in my own kitchen as happy as could be, cooking on a sunny Sunday morning with the Archers omnibus on.

At 10.30, there's a knock on the door, no, not Noel from across the road after soy sauce, tea bags or pickled ginger, but my mother and father-in-law. Yes, one and a half hours early! I am dressed in a vest and apron with hair like Amy Winehouse. "Have you ever eaten snails?" asks my father-in-law. I turn off the radio and put my shirt on.

Eventually Rob and Scrap return and we're having a nice time but it's getting later and later. We're all really hungry and can't eat any more nuts or crisps but Rob's sister has still not arrived! All my timings are out and I end up with three unexpected hours to to fill with drinks and snacks before I get to serve lunch.

We drag the kitchen table outside and sit in the sunshine and I cut a salami ring into thick slices, open a pack of saltines and whizz this dip up in less than three minutes. It kept them quiet for at least a quarter of an hour and was suprisingly yum.

Serves 4
1 small garlic clove
bunch of fresh mint
150ml Greek yogurt
squeeze of lime juice
1 preserved lemon, finely chopped
* 250g block of good feta
slosh of extra virgin olive oil

Place the garlic and most of the mint in a mini chopper and whizz until finely chopped. Add the yogurt and whizz to blend well then season with lime juice and salt.

Pour onto a serving plate and scatter over the chopped lemon. Crumble over the feta then drizzle over some olive oil. Scatter with a little shredded mint, then grind over some back peppper.

*This dip hinges on the quality of the feta. Sainsbury's own label is bad but Total is good. Best of all is one from the Greek grocer on Lordship Lane or my favourite, Cruson on Camberwell Church Street.

Greek Lemon & Egg Soup

I love that Greek shop on Lordship Lane. Whether it’s after 6 on a Sunday or early on a bank holiday when everyone’s hungry, everywhere’s closed and all you have is a block of chicken stock in the freezer, you can rely on Andreas Delicatessen for giant bunches of fresh herbs, plump lemons and a pack of pasta (and flat bread and great feta and good olives and samosas). All you need for a quick lunch.

This easy soup is based on the Greek classic Avgolemono.

Serves 2 - 4
1.2 litres chicken stock with shreds of chicken
100g orzo or long grain rice
2 large eggs, at room temperature
juice of 1- 2 lemons, depending on how sharp you like it
4 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley

Heat the stock and once boiling cook the orzo or rice until tender. Remove from the heat and cover with a lid.

Whisk the eggs and lemon juice in a bowl until frothy. Remove a big ladleful of hot broth from the soup and slowly add it to the eggs, whisking continually.

Whisk the warmed eggs into the soup - the broth should be hot enough to cook the eggs so they thicken the soup a little. If it does taste raw, put the heat back on very gently just for a minute or two but don't let it get so hot as to set the eggs in clumps.

Stir in the parsley, check the seasoning (it needs quite a bit of salt to balance the lemon). Ladle into bowls and serve swiftly.