A Springtime Odyssey

Posted: February 3, 2000

A Springtime Odyssey

We've got a special April treat with a menu designed by Manhattan chef Costas Spiliadis. Spiliadis, who hails from Greece, opened Milos in Montreal almost 20 years ago, and expanded to the Big Apple in 1997. He tells features editor Rebecca Knapp Adams -- in the current issue of Wine Spectator, where you can read the full story -- that his goal is to let us all in on a secret: when it's at home, Greek cuisine is very sophisticated.

Proving his point, the chef offers a full range of treats, from appetizers to soups and salads to his trademark whole fish and a stuffed rack of lamb. Sommelier Beth von Benz hopes you'll be able to pair Greek wines with your meal. "The indigenous varietals go better with Greek food," she tells Adams. "Typical ingredients in the cuisine we offer are tomatoes, oregano, lemon and capers -- which tend to be high in acidity -- so crisp, minerally styles with citrus flavors are the key to matching wine."

Von Benz says some of the restaurant's most popular wines are from the island of Santorini, made from Assyrtiko, a white grape. They're good if you want light or medium-bodied wines; for a full-bodied white she suggests something from Mantinia, made from the Moschophilero grape. Two reliable labels are Skouras and the "estate" wines from Boutari. Both produce reds and whites that are available in U.S. shops.

A Greek Menu

Artisanal Greek Cheese Plate

Spreads and Grilled Bread

Ktipiti
Tzatziki
Skordalia (Aliada)
Taramosalata

Tyropitakia (Greek cheese pies)

Smoked Eel Salad

Lobster Salad

Easter Salad

Kakavia (Greek fish soup)

Whole Fish With Homemade Mayonnaise and Beet Salad
See Kakavia recipe for how to prepare fish

Stuffed Rack of Lamb

Fresh Fruit, Baklava, Yogurt

Karithopita (Walnut Cake)

Ktipiti

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 red Holland peppers, seeded and roughly sliced
4 hot red peppers, seeded and roughly sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 cups crumbled feta cheese

Put olive oil in a sauté pan set over moderate heat. Add peppers to the pan, and season with salt and pepper. Sauté for 20 to 25 minutes, until peppers are nice and soft.

Place the peppers and olive oil in a food processor and puree until smooth. Slowly add the feta until all of it is incorporated. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Continue processing until the puree is thick and smooth. Serves 8.

Tzatziki

1/2 pound goats milk yogurt (purchase a thick consistency yogurt or drain a thinner yogurt by hanging it in cheesecloth until much of the liquid drains away)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1/2 cucumber, seeded and diced
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tablespoon fresh dill
1/2 tablespoon good quality white wine vinegar
Salt and white pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serves 4 to 6.

Skordalia (Aliada)

5 medium Idaho potatoes
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
5 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
7 cloves garlic
1/2 cup cod stock (see recipe)
Salt to taste

Remove the salt from a 4-ounce piece of salt cod by running it under cold water and soaking overnight. Gently boil the potatoes with their skins, until they are barely cooked. (Important: do not overcook; centers should still be somewhat firm.) When they are cool enough to handle, remove skins. Boil the cod with 1 1/2 cups waters, until the water has reduced to about 1/2 cup (about 20 to 30 minutes). Discard fish, reserve stock. Using a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic with 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 teaspoons lemon juice, until mashed. Add two potatoes, more of the olive oil, lemon juice, some salt, and cod stock; mash until combined. Continue in this manner, slowly adding ingredients until all have been used. The skordalia should have a smooth, creamy consistency. (Consistency may be adjusted by adding more or less liquid, as desired.)

Correct the seasoning with salt if needed. Serve with garnish of flat-leaf parsley. Serves 6.

Alternate method: The traditional method, using a mortar and pestle, yields the best results for making Skordalia. However, a food processor may also be used, if you slowly add ingredients in the same manner as before, until all have been incorporated.

Taramosalata

1 red onion, roughly chopped
1 cup carp roe
1 1/2 large loaves white bread, crusts removed
6 ounces lemon juice
6 ounces extra virgin olive oil
6 ounces vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon white pepper

Submerge the loaf of bread in water momentarily. Remove and gently squeeze out excess water. Reserve. In a food processor, combine the red onion, fish roe, olive oil, lemon juice, vegetable oil, salt and pepper. Process until ingredients are well incorporated. Little by little add pieces of the bread while the processor is running. Once all the bread has been added, continue to process until puree is thick, smooth and airy. Check the seasoning and adjust if needed. Serves 8.

Tyropitakia (Greek cheese pies)

1 pound phyllo dough, approximately 18 to 20 inches in length
1 pound feta cheese
1/2 cup heavy cream
Freshly ground pepper, a few turns
1/4 pound butter, melted
2 eggs
Melted butter, as needed for brushing

Make the filling: Crumble the feta with a fork; combine with the heavy cream, pepper, melted butter and eggs; mix well. Reserve. Spread the phyllo dough out onto a clean work surface. Using a very sharp knife, cut strips about 4 inches wide along the length of the dough. With additional melted butter, liberally brush the top layer of a phyllo strip. At the bottom of the strip place a teaspoon of the cheese filling. Starting with one corner, bring it across to cover, creating a triangle. Continue folding in this fashion, to the top of the strip, much as one would fold a flag. Set aside. Repeat the procedure with the rest of the phyllo and filling. Place pies on a sheet pan that has been brushed with melted butter. Bake in a 275 degree oven for approximately 1/2 hour, until the pies are a light golden-brown color. Serve immediately.

Smoked Eel Salad

2 pounds smoked eel
4 spring onions, chopped
5 sprigs dill, coarsely chopped, plus more dill sprigs for garnish
4 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Grilled bread

Debone eel, reserving all the meat in a large bowl. Shred meat into large chunks. Mix in the spring onions and dill. Drizzle with the olive oil and lemon juice. Adjust according to taste with more olive oil and lemon juice. Spoon salad onto a platter and add some whole dill for decoration. Spread atop toasted bread and serve. Serves 8.

Lobster Salad

1 large lobster (2 to 3 pounds)
5 cups white wine
2 cups sliced fennel
1 cup radicchio leaves
1 endive, chopped
2 scallions, chopped
2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill
1 ounce Metaxa brandy
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Submerge lobster in wine for 2 to 3 minutes. Place the lobster in a large pot of boiling salted water for 7 to 8 minutes, until it turns bright red.

Remove lobster from water and place on a hot grill for 3 to 4 minutes; brush lobster with olive oil. Remove the lobster from the grill and, with a sharp knife, split it in half down the length of the body.

Place the lobster halves back on the grill, cut-side down, for a few more minutes, to infuse the meat with a nice charcoal flavor. Remove it from the grill; let cool a little. Remove the meat from the claws and tail, and chop into medium-size chunks.

Mix the lobster meat with the fennel, radicchio, endive, scallions and dill. Just before serving, add the Metaxa brandy, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Taste, and adjust seasoning if needed. Serves 2 to 4.

Easter Salad

2 heads Romaine lettuce
4 spring onions, thinly chopped
1/2 bunch dill, thinly chopped
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Salt, to taste
Kalamata olives, as desired
1/4 pound feta cheese, thinly sliced

Discard the outermost leaves of the lettuce heads; wash lettuce well. With a very sharp knife, shred very thin and place in a mixing bowl. Add the spring onions and dill. Next, add the olive oil, vinegar and salt. Toss together well and place salad on an oval platter. Add Kalamata olives and feta cheese around the salad. Serves 8.

Kakavia (Greek fish soup)

1 whole Rofos (black grouper may be substituted), about 6 pounds or
1 whole Synagrida (white snapper may be substituted), about 6 pounds
10 cups cold water
1 1/2 cups extra virgin olive oil -- the highest quality available
1 cup lemon juice
Large handful sea salt
Liberal amount of ground white pepper
4 large carrots, peeled, and cut into large pieces
5 stalks celery, cut into large pieces
1 whole onion, peeled
1 pinch saffron
3 Chef's potatoes, peeled and cut in half
Homemade mayonnaise
6 large fresh radishes, sliced

Have your fishmonger gut and scale the fish. If head and tail are cut off, be sure to save them for the cooking.

In a large pot, place the fish (with head and tail, too). Add the rest of the ingredients; cover. Turn on the highest flame possible and bring to boil. Once boiling, remove the cover and continue to boil for 40-45 minutes, until the fish is totally cooked through, but not overcooked. During the cooking, use a spoon to skim the foam that rises to the top. Be careful not to remove any of the olive oil, though. With a large slotted spoon or spatula, carefully transfer all of the fish out of the pot and onto a platter. Correct the seasoning of the cooking liquid, and serve separately as a soup. With two forks, remove any bones from the fish. Reshape the meat to a fish shape if need be, and place the head and tail where they should be. Season the fish with salt and white pepper. With a spoon, spread the homemade mayonnaise over the fish. Decorate the platter by adding some radish slices around the platter. Serves 8.

Beet Salad

2 bunches young beets with greens
Extra-virgin olive oil, as needed
Red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar, as needed
Salt, to taste
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Cut off beet greens. Wash both the beets and the greens well.

In a moderate oven, roast the beets until they are soft. When cool enough to handle, peel the beets and cut them into thin shreds. Cook the greens in rapidly boiling salted water until they are tender, a few minutes only. Drain. On a platter, place the cooked beet greens. Stack the beets on top, and dress with olive oil, vinegar and salt to taste. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve with the Kakavia. Serves 8.

Stuffed Rack of Lamb

For the lamb:
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 garlic clove, smashed
Salt and pepper
2 large racks of lamb, frenched (the meat cut away from the end of the rib so part of the bone is exposed)
12 potatoes, peeled and halved

For the stuffing:
1/2 cup high-quality olive oil
2 or 3 spring onions, thinly chopped
Organs of lamb--liver, spleen, heart and lungs--cut into small pieces
1/2 cup wild rice
1 cup beef stock
3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup kefalotyri cheese

Mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic salt and pepper. Rub the racks with the mixture. Set aside.

To make the stuffing, set a sauté pan over moderate heat. Combine the olive oil and spring onions in the pan, and sauté for a few minutes. Then add the organ meats and sauté for 5 minutes. Remove this mixture from the heat and add rice, stock, herbs, salt and pepper, and cheese.

Stand the two racks upright, facing each other. Fill with stuffing, cross the bones so that they interlock, then tie the racks together with twine. Cover the bones with aluminum foil.

Brush the potatoes with a little olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.

Place the racks in a roasting pan, with the potatoes scattered around the lamb, and cook for 1 hour at 300° F.

Raise the temperature to 375° F and cook for an additional 45 minutes for medium-rare, or longer for desired doneness. If pan gets too dry during the cooking process, add a small amount of hot water. Serves 8.

Karithopita (Walnut Cake)

1/2 pound butter
6 whole eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup crushed walnuts
2 cups water
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup honey
1 cinnamon stick
Orange peel

In a large bowl, combine the melted butter and eggs; whisk together. In a separate bowl, combine all dry ingredients (sugar, flour, spices, baking powder and walnuts). Add the dry ingredients to the butter and eggs. Mix just until combined, and pour batter into a buttered pan. Bake in a 300 degree oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry. Make a honey syrup by combining the water, sugar, honey, cinnamon stick and orange peel in a saucepot. Stir with a wooden spoon to mix. Bring to a simmer, and allow to reduce a little, until desired consistency is reached. Then, while the walnut cake is still warm, drizzle a generous amount of honey syrup over the cake; serve.