Tomatoes A La Grecque Recipes

LEEKS A LA GRECQUE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make 2 lengthwise slits in leek and rinse it in a bowl of water. Arrange leeks in a gratin pan. In a sauce pan combine water, olive oil, marjoram, cinnamon, red wine vinegar, oregano and salt to taste. Bring liquid to a boil and simmer 10 minutes. Pour liquid over leeks to just cover. Arrange a piece of foil over dish and bake 35 minutes, or until tender. Transfer leeks to a serving plate. Reduce cooking liquid to 1/2 cup and strain over leeks. Chill, covered, 2 hours or overnight. Before serving, garnish with tomatoes, olives, cheese and fresh herbs.
• Recommended Drink: Ouzo

LEEKS VERITABLEMENT A LA GRECQUE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the leeks. Trim off the root end, and cut each leek so it is approximately 6 inches long. (Discard the dark green part of the leek.) If the leeks are more than 1 1/4 inches in diameter, cut them lengthwise into halves or quarters. Wash the leeks by making thin, lengthwise slits and placing the leeks under running water. Arrange the leeks in a gratin pan. In a saucepan combine the water, olive oil, marjoram, cinnamon, vinegar, oregano, and salt to taste. Bring the liquid to a boil, and simmer for 10 minutes. Pour the liquid over the leeks to just cover. Arrange a piece of foil over the grain pan, and bake 35 minutes, or until leeks are tender. Transfer the leeks to a serving platter. Return the cooking liquid to the saucepan, and reduce to 1/2 cup. Strain it over the leeks. Chill, covered, for 2 hours or overnight. Just before serving, strew the leeks with the tomatoes, olives, cheese and fresh herbs.

SEARED RED MULLET WITH à LA GRECQUE VEGETABLES & BASMATI PILAF

Steps:

• Using a very sharp filleting knife, make a cut at the head on a slant, then turn the fish and cut under the dorsal (top) fin.
• Press the fish down firmly with one hand, bending it slightly along the back so that the flesh is taut. Then slide the knife in at the top of the backbone.
• Cut down against the rib cage at a downward slant. Letting the knife do the work, push the tip against the centre of the bone, working your way down to the tail. Turn the fish over and repeat on the other side.
• Trim the fillets neatly. Remove the pin bones using your fingernails or tweezers. In the restaurant kitchen, we use a straight-sided potato peeler, hooking the bone head and twisting it out. After filleting and pin-boning, pat dry (do not rinse or you'll lose flavour).
• Thinly slice the shallots, garlic and carrots. Quarter and core the fennel then slice the fennel quarters as thinly as you can - use a mandolin, if possible.
• Heat 3 tbsp oil in a sauté frying pan and fry the vegetables together for 5 mins with the saffron, cardamom and bay leaf.
• Add 2 tbsp oil and continue cooking for 5 mins. Season well, remove from the heat and stir in the tomatoes, vinegar, 3 tbsp oil, and coriander.
• Heat 2 tbsp oil in a non-stick frying pan and, when hot, lay in the fillets, skin-side down. Season and cook for 2 mins, then carefully turn and cook for 1-2 mins - but no more, the flesh should be slightly undercooked. Remove from the heat.
• Tip half the vegetables into a shallow dish, lay the fillets on top, then cover with the remaining vegetables.
• Leave to marinate for 10 mins before serving warm. Prepare up to this point up to 1 day ahead and keep in the fridge. Bring to room temperature before serving.
• Soak the rice in cold water for 5 mins, then drain well and tip into a bowl. Mix in the grated zests. Add all the spices. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Make a cartouche (see tip below).
• Heat oil in an ovenproof casserole, then sauté onion for 5 mins. Add rice and wine, boil until evaporated, then add the stock. Bring to the boil.
• Top with the cartouche and a well-fitting lid. Bake for 20 mins, then take out of the oven, uncover, fork the grains, re-cover. Leave to stand for 5 mins, then serve.

VEGETABLES à LA GRECQUE

Steps:

• In a pot, bring the liquids, spices and herbs to just below a boil.
• Cook each vegetable, separated by type, in the seasoned liquid. Start with the onion, then fennel, then cauliflower or mushrooms, then celery. Cook each until it can be pierced with a knife and tastes delicious. As each batch is done, scoop it out with a slotted spoon or a hand-held sieve. Place on a cookie sheet to cool.
• If spices or bits of herb stick to the vegetables, put what you can back in the pot and don't worry about the rest - everything will marinate together, so things will redistribute. When all the vegetables are cooked, layer them in a 1-quart Mason jar - it looks nice if you do mushrooms, then onions and so on. Pour all of the cooking liquid over them, without straining. The olive oil in the liquid will rise to the top and create a seal.
• Serve alone as an hors d'oeuvre, or as part of a salad, or on little buttered toasts. Or in an omelet. Or in a sandwich. Anywhere, really, but in a strawberry tart. Refrigerate for up to a month.

VEGETABLES A LA GRECQUE

Steps:

• Warm the oil in a large saucepan over moderate heat; add the fennel and onion.
• Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
• Add the garlic, coriander seeds, and tomatoes and cook, uncovered, until the vegetables are tender and any liquid has disappeared.
• In a separate pan steam the cauliflowers and green beans until just tender.
• Once the fennel and tomato mixture is ready, add the mushrooms and cook gently for 3 to 4 minutes.
• Stir in the cauliflowers and green beans, and season with salt and black pepper.
• Remove from the heat and set aside.
• Sprinkle with parsley and serve warm or cool.

VEGETABLES à LA GRECQUE

Steps:

• In a 3- or 4-quart saucepan combine vinegar, wine, olive oil, garlic cloves, shallot, bouquet garni, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, peppercorns, kosher salt and 3 cups water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook 15 to 30 minutes while you prepare vegetables.
• Add carrots to the broth and simmer 5 minutes. Add cauliflower, bring back to a simmer, and cook another 15 minutes, until carrots and cauliflower are tender but not mushy. Using a slotted spoon, remove vegetables to a bowl. Some of the broth and seeds can come along with them.
• Add mushrooms to broth and simmer 5 minutes. Remove to bowl with carrots and cauliflower.
• Stir broth and ladle 11/2 cups plus some of the coriander seeds into a small saucepan. Set aside.
• Add artichoke hearts to the pot in which you cooked the other vegetables and simmer 25 to 30 minutes, until tender. Transfer to bowl with other cooked vegetables. If using artichoke leaves, steam them now. When finished, discard this broth.
• Bring reserved broth in the small saucepan to a boil and cook until liquid reduces to 1/2 cup. Pour over the vegetables, add lemon juice and fleur de sel and toss. Taste and adjust seasoning. Leave at room temperature until ready to serve (for best flavor, let vegetables marinate for a few hours), or refrigerate for up to 3 days. Just before serving, garnish with herbs and, if you wish, with steamed artichoke leaves, which can be dipped into the marinade. Serve on small plates with the reduced marinade spooned on top.

BAKED GREEK SHRIMP WITH TOMATOES AND FETA

Steps:

• Put 4 tablespoons olive oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 to 8 minutes. Lower heat as necessary to keep mixture from browning. Remove from heat while preparing tomatoes.
• Fill a saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add whole tomatoes and cook for about 2 minutes, until skins loosen. Immediately plunge tomatoes in a bowl of cold water to cool, then drain. With a paring knife, core tomatoes and slip off skins. Cut tomatoes into thick wedges.
• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Return skillet to stove over medium-high heat. Add tomato wedges and season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring, until mixture is juicy and tomatoes have softened, about 10 minutes. Transfer mixture to a shallow earthenware baking dish.
• Put shrimp in a mixing bowl. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, season shrimp with salt and pepper and stir to coat. Arrange shrimp over tomato mixture in one layer. Crumble cheese over surface and sprinkle with oregano.
• Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until tomatoes are bubbling and cheese has browned slightly. Remove from oven and let dish rest for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with mint and serve.

LEEKS A LA GRECQUE

Steps:

• Remove the outer leaves from the leeks, wash thoroughly and cut into 2.5 centimetre (1 inch) lengths.
• Place in a pan (preferably non-stick) with the remaining ingredients, adding salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.
• Heat gently until the vegetables are simmering and simmer for 20 minutes.
• If serving warm, place in a serving dish, garnish with basil leaves - and serve.
• If serving cold, leave to cool in the liquid, then place in a serving dish, garnish with basil leaves - and serve.

TOMATOES A LA GRECQUE

Steps:

• Slice tomatoes lengthwise into quarters, through the stem. Place in a medium bowl; season with salt and pepper.
• Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic; cook, stirring, until soft but not browned, about 1 minute. Add vinegar, lemon juice, and coriander. Let simmer 1 minute.
• Immediately pour hot vinaigrette over tomatoes, and let marinate at room temperature until completely cooled. Alternatively, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Just before serving, peel cucumbers, leaving on stripes of skin for decoration, if desired. Halve cucumbers lengthwise; scrape out seeds with a spoon and discard. Cut cucumber into 1/2-inch semicircles. Garnish tomatoes with oregano, and serve cucumbers in a separate bowl.