Skordalia With Mustard (σκορδαλιά με μουστάρδα)

Today I'm revisiting a post I made about Skordalia, which is a Greek garlic sauce or Aioli. Us Greeks commonly have it along side with beer battered cod, seafood croquettes, deep fried zucchini or eggplant, fries or...simply with bread.

There are various ways to make skordalia. One way is to use potato as the binder or soaked bread. Either way is fine but both approaches are tricky as the oil can easily separate on you.

I like my method which uses an egg as a binder and a steady stream of sunflower and olive oil combined. I have made skordalia in this manner many times and i have yet to see it separate on me.

Skordalia with mustard is my own creation. I was inspired by my memories of being in northen Greece, Thessaloniki in particular. There's a street called Polytechniou and it used to be lined with family-run shacks that would serve keftedes, sausages and souvlaki to the bustling array of passersby.

The clientele ranged from drunk teens who partyed all night and seeked food to coat their stomachs, to working class stiffs looking for a cheap bite to the suited businessman seeking a quick bite before heading back to the office.

Fast forward to the 1998 and they were gone. All the streetside burger shacks were gone. All victims of bureaucratic meddling from far away Brussels.

Their keftedes used to be served on wax paper, with a basket of bread, some ripe sliced tomatoes, thinly sliced red onions, cold beer and lots of creamy, kinda' sweet mustard, topped of with a pint of cold lager beer.

If any Greek who knows how to make this mustard, please let me know...I'm dying for the recipe.

Until then, my Skordalia With Mustard is my tribute to the little shacks on Polytechniou.

Skordalia With Mustard (σκορδαλιά με μουστάρδα)

1 egg
2 Tbsp of white wine vinegar
2 Tbsp of mild mustard
3 cloves of garlic, smashed
1/2 tsp. of salt
2/3 cup of sunflower oil
1/3 cup of olive oil
1/3 cup of blanched almonds

1. Place in a blender or food processor your egg, vinegar, mustard and garlic and blend for a few seconds.
2. With the processor running, gradually (slowly) pour in your olive oil/safflower oil mixture in a fine, steady stream. The mixture should attain the consistency of a mayonnaise.
3. Add your blanched almonds and pulse just enough to puree and incorporate it.
   

Keftedes With Ouzo

Some of you might recall my post about Greek Keftedes, which are Greek hamburgers or meatballs.

I was at the supermarket to buy a few things and I saw a package of ground lamb meat on sale. I've had lamb burgers from time to time and I found them to be juicy and a nice departure from the regular burger.

I also recalled seeing a recipe for keftedes which included Greece's national booze, Ouzo in it. Ouzo is an anise-flavoured spirit widely drank in Greece, known as Raki in Turkey and at one time it even once replaced the banned and hallucinogenic Absinthe.

These keftedes made for a nice meze (appetizer) and the herb combination was refreshing. I prefer grilling such meats but alas, winter is here.

If you're looking for a new twist on meatballs, give keftedes with ouzo a try. One way or another I'm going to sneak in some Ouzo on you!

Keftedes With Ouzo

1 kilo of lean ground lamb
4 slices bread (soaked in water, then squeezed to remove liquids)
1 egg
1 Tbsp. Ouzo
2 medium sized onions, grated
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 Tbsp. parsley, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh (1 Tbsp. dry) mint, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. dry oregano
flour for dusting meatballs
sunflower oil or corn oil for shallow frying
salt and pepper to taste

1. In a bowl, combine the ground lamb and the bread. Add the onion, garlic, parsley, mint, oregano, egg, ouzo, salt and pepper.
2. Test out a meatball for flavour by cooking it quickly in the microwave or fry one in a skillet. Adjust for seasoning. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours for the flavours to marry.
   
3. Use your hands to mix all the ingredients.
4. Roll into small balls (golf ball size), dust with flour and fry in plenty of hot oil. When browned all over, drain meatballs on paper towel to remove excess oil, then serve.
   

Prime Rib of Beef

This is hands down one of my most enjoyable meals to make and eat. As you know, many restaurants were owned/operated by Greek immigrants to the West and a staple of any good restaurant was Prime Rib of Beef.

My dad operated such a restaurant for years and the Prime Rib was no doubt the "show stopper".

Before I go on with the beef, please remember this recipe works only with Prime Rib which is a more expensive cut. This method will not work with regular roast beef.

Secondly, choose a Prime Rib that has a "cap" attached. The cap is a fatty piece of meat that covers the top part of the Prime Rib (secured with butcher's twine).

Thirdly, invest in a meat thermometer. This is the sure-fire way to get the desired doneness of your meat.

Finally, only season the cap (top). The seasoning will drip down the sides of meat as the fatty cap renders. This is where the flavour comes from.

Prime Rib of Beef

Preheat your oven to 450F
1 standing Prime Rib roast, bone in and with cap
salt
pepper
garlic powder

1. Pat dry your beef. Generously season the cap only (not the sides) with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
2. Place a meat thermometer into the center of the meat, entering through the cap.
3. Places your beef (rib side down) in a large roasting pan (middle rack) and roast for 1 hour or until the entire piece of meat has achieved it's dark brown colour.
4. Remove the roast and pour 3 cups of water into the bottom of the roasting pan (or just halfway covering the rib bones).
5. Turn the heat down to 400F and roast until the internal temperature has reached 135F.
6. Remove the roast, cover with foil and allow the meat to rest for 30 minutes before carving.
7. You may now make your Jus.
   

Roast Beef Jus

1. Skim the fat from the "jus" in the bottom of the roasting pan (I use a fat separater).
2. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up the brown bits and stir until there's very little (if any) left on the bottom of the pan.
3. Add 3 bay leaves and bring to a boil. Taste for seasoning. Sometimes the jus can be salty, so add some water or sometimes it's too weak, then just add some beef base.
4. Lower the heat to a medium simmer and reduce to half.
5. Using a strainer, pour the jus through to a medium-sized sauce pan.
   

Jalapeno Cheddar Corn Bread

In my previous post, you all saw my Texas chili and one must have corn bread to along with the zesty chili. The mildly sweet bread contrasts with the heat of the Tex-Mex classic.

In this post, us here in the Americas can gloat for just this moment. Corn is native to the Americas and afterwards it was introduced to the rest of the world through European contact with the native Indians.

Corn in Europe simply has no taste. As my father puts it..."not even the pigs can eat this corn"! I've even given seeds to relatives to plant and still, the corn wasn't the same. Rejoice Americas, our corn rules the roost!

Before you Europeans get all fired up, you should know that the best pastas, corn flours and polentas use imported wheat and corn...from the Americas.

I'm submitting this entry for Weekend Herb Blogging, the last one for this year. This week it's being hosted by Astrid of Paulchen's Kitchen.

This cornbread is best I've made so far. I'm always up for trying new recipes but this one easy, not too sweet, a hint of heat from the Jalapenos and the cheddar on top gives almost a crunchy texture.

Once again, I've searched, found and enjoyed another Ina Garten creation. I followed her recipe "as is" but I would like to also add some fresh corn niblets in the summer.

The next time you make a bowl of chili, pair it with some jalapeno cheddar cornbread!