How the Greeks Do It – Crowd Pleasers (A Selection of Most Popular Greek Main Dishes)

Whether it is a souvlaki or moussaka, there are plenty of choices to choose from when picking a dish that will serve as a main course. In fact many times Greek meals include 2 or more main dishes. The selection of recipes presented here is for some of the most popular dishes that serve as a main course in Greece. And last but not least there is a recipe for a classic – the traditional Greek salad.

Since 20% of Greece is made up of islands, it is no wonder fish and other seafood represent a large part of Greek diet. And even though there are plenty of recipes to choose from the most classic and popular way is to grill the fish. The most commonly grilled types of fishes are sea bass, sea bream, swordfish, mackerel, pike, red mullet, prawns even octopus.

To prepare the fish for grilling the Greek way, you will need to clean the fish inside and out and then pat it dry. Regardless if you grill whole fish or fish stakes, salt them lightly inside and out. Then brush the fish with olive oil and lemon juice and then sprinkle with oregano or thyme. It is also good to brush the grill with olive oil to prevent the fish from sticking. Turn the fish frequently to grill it evenly on both sides.

3 eggplants

2 onions

600 grams of ground lamb or beef

4 tablespoons of tomato paste

2 cloves of garlic

Marjoram

A pinch of cinnamon

5 tablespoons of Parmesan

30 grams of butter

1 tablespoon of flour

3 dcls of milk

2 egg yolks

Olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Wash the eggplants, trim the stems and peel the skin off. Cut into slices and salt. Leave aside for an hour. Chop the onions and sauté them in 4 tablespoons of olive oil. When the onions turn translucent add the meat. Continue to sauté until the meat turns lightly brown. Add tomato paste, chopped garlic, cinnamon, salt and pepper and let it simmer.

In the meantime, rinse, drain and pat the eggplants dry, brush with oil and run them under a broiler until they also turn lightly brown.

For béchamel sauce – on low temperature mix butter and flour. Remove from the heat and add egg yolks and 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese.

Lightly oil the baking pan and place a layer of eggplants at the bottom. Follow with meat mixture, which you should spread evenly and then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Continue with layering until you have eggplants at the top. Pour béchamel sauce on the top and sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 40 minutes at 180°C (350F)

There are different recipes for souvlaki. Souvlaki can be made out of different types of meat, whether it is lamb, pork or chicken. You can even mix different types of meat on the same skewer. The recipe here is for pork souvlaki.

900 grams of pork, cut into bite sized pieces

about 2 tablespoons of olive oil

about 2 tablespoons of soy sauce

1 and a half cloves of garlic

1 medium onion

1 green bell pepper

1 tomato cut into wedges

oregano, salt and pepper to taste

Combine lemon juice, olive oil, soy sauce, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Then add pork, all the vegetables and stir in to coat well. Refrigerate for about 2 –3 hours.

Warm up the grill to medium to high heat and thread meat and the vegetables on the skewers. Oil the grill so that the meat does not stick. Turn frequently until the meat is done on both sides.

3 tomatoes

1 cucumber

1 onion

200 grams of feta cheese

12 black olives (or your preferred choice)

1 tablespoon of lemon juice

4 tablespoons of olive oil

Oregano, salt and pepper to taste

Cut the tomatoes in bite-sized chunks, making sure you remove the core. Slice the cucumbers and chop the onions and mix all together. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Sprinkle with oregano; add lemon juice and olive oil and toss well. Before serving add the olives and crumbled feta cheese.