It would be a sin not to taste Greek food while being in Greece! Here we prepared a list of top 5 dishes that you need to try on Corfu.

In this post, we will not focus on the ideal and most tasteful places, but on the dishes themselves.

Moussaka

Moussaka is the most delicious dish of Greek cuisine! It is a kind of casserole consisting of potatoes, meat and eggplant coated with a thick layer of béchamel sauce.

Souvlaki

Souvlaki literally means shashlik and is a very popular dish available in every Greek tavern. Souvlaki is served with fries and vegetables. Sometimes on the plate there is also a tzatziki or mustard sauce and Greek pita.

Pastitsio

It is a kind of cottage pie, with three layers: pasta, minced meat mixed with tomato sauce and béchamel sauce. This dish is very similar to Moussaka, the difference is that instead of potatoes and eggplant, we have a thick pasta very similar to spaghetti.

Pastitsada

It’s a chicken or beef meat in a tomato sauce, with a lot of Corfian spices, served with thick noodles sprinkled with grated hard yellow cheese. This typical Sunday dish is made of a rooster, usually grazing slowly somewhere on a field or in chicken coops with a large space at around.

Pita Gyros

Typical Greek fast food, pita gyros. You won’t find popular American fast food anywhere in Corfu, despite one McDonald’s on Esplanade, but you can buy gyros at many stands for about € 3. Gyros is made from meat, usually pork, pepper, tomato, onion, lettuce, fries, tzatziki sauce, and is wrapped in Greek pita bread.

 

 

If, after arriving to your home, you would like to experience the Greek flavours again, then here’s the recipe for the famous Moussaka and Pastitsio, but remember that you can make more dishes. All you need to do is visit the site of the most popular Greek chefs (Akis Petretzikis) and follow his instructions.

Moussaka

Method
  • Place a deep pan over high heat. Add the sunflower oil and let it get hot.
  • Peel the potatoes and slice them into thin rounds.
  • Slice the eggplants and zucchini into thin rounds and fry in a separate pan for 5-10 minutes.
  • Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a baking pan lined with paper towels. Allow to drain from excess oil.
For the ground meat
  • Place a pot over high heat and add the olive oil.
  • Coarsely chop the onion and add to pan.
  • Finely chop the garlic and add to pan along with thyme and sugar. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until they caramelize nicely.
  • Add the ground meat and break it up with a wooden spoon. Sauté until golden brown.
  • Add the tomato paste and sauté so that it loses its bitterness.
  • Add the chopped tomatoes, lower heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes until the sauce thickens.
  • Remove from heat and add the parsley and coarsely chopped basil. Season with salt and pepper.
For the béchamel sauce
  • Place a pot over medium heat.
  • Add the butter and let it melt.
  • Add the flour and whisk until it soaks up all of the butter.
  • Add the milk in small batches while continuously whisking so that no lumps form.
  • As soon as the béchamel sauce thickens and bubbles start to form on the surface, remove from heat.
  • Add the nutmeg, salt, pepper, 100 g parmesan and 3 egg yolks. Whisk thoroughly.
To assemble
  • Preheat oven to 180* C (350* F) Fan.
  • In a 25×32 cm baking pan, spread a layer of potatoes, cover with a layer of eggplants and top with a layer of zucchini. Season in between layers.
  • Add 2-3 tablespoons of béchamel sauce to the ground meat mixture and mix. Spread the ground meat over the vegetables.
  • Cover with the béchamel sauce, spreading it evenly and sprinkle with 50 g of grated parmesan.
  • Bake for 35-40 minutes.
  • When ready, remove from oven and allow to cool.
  • Serve with fresh herbs and olive oil.

Pastitsio

For the ground meat
  • Place a pan over high heat.
  • Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the finely chopped onions, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar and finely chopped thyme.
  • Sauté for 3-4 minutes, until the onions caramelize nicely.
  • Add the garlic and continue to sauté.
  • Add the tomato paste and sauté for at least 2 minutes. It is important to sauté the tomato paste to give it a more intense flavor.
  • Add the ground meat. Break it up with a wooden spoon and brown for 4-5 minutes. At this point you may need to add another 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
  • Add the wine and let the alcohol evaporate.
  • Add the canned tomatoes, cinnamon, sugar, bouillon cubes and bay leaves.
  • Turn the heat down to low and simmer for 10-20 minutes, until the sauce reduces and the ground meat is cooked.
  • When ready, remove from heat. Discard the bay leaves and set aside until needed.
For the béchamel sauce
  • Heat the butter in a pot over medium heat. As soon as it melts (do not let it burn), add the flour. Beat with a hand whisk and sauté the flour for a few minutes.
  • Scrape down the sides of the pot to release any flour, so it doesn’t burn.
  • Add the milk, in small batches, whisking continuously so that no lumps form in the mixture.
  • The mixture will be quite thick at first. You need to be persistent and patient.  As you add more and more of the milk, you will see how the béchamel sauce will start to become nice and creamy.
  • When the béchamel sauce starts to thicken, you have to be very careful not to let it burn on the bottom. Whisk continuously to avoid this.
  • When ready, remove from heat and add salt, pepper, nutmeg and all of the grated gruyere, apart from 1 tablespoon which will be added at the end of the recipe.
  • To complete, add the 3 egg yolks and whisk to incorporate.
  • Set aside until needed.
For the pasta
  • Add the pasta to a pot full of salted water. Boil 1-2 minutes less than the instructions on the box. They need to be al dente because they will cook further in the oven, so do not overcook.
  • Brush a baking pan with olive oil.
  • When the pasta is ready, drain and spread in the baking pan.
  • Add the 2 eggs, lightly beaten, a generous amount of thyme, parsley and crumbled feta cheese.
  • Season to taste and set aside until needed.
To assemble
  • Preheat oven to 180* C (350* F) Fan.
  • Bring back the baking pan containing the pasta mixture.
  • To the ground meat, add a ladleful of the béchamel sauce. Mix until completely incorporated.
  • The béchamel sauce will make the ground meat mixture hold together better when serving.
  • Spread the ground meat mixture over the pasta in the baking pan.
  • Pour the remaining béchamel sauce over the ground meat.
  • Last, sprinkle the reserved grated gruyere over the top. You can also add some small cubes of butter.
  • Bake for 40 minutes or until the béchamel turns golden brown.