calofagas🔺Receita (I) - Chicken Giouvetsi
1 large onion, diced
1 Cubanelle pepper, diced
1 cup tomato puree
1 1/2 cups of Kritharaki (orzo)
6 cups of chicken stock
1 whole chicken, separated into pieces
salt and pepper to taste
Grated Kefalotyri (Romano) Cheese
Instructions;
1- Pre-heated 375F oven. In a skillet, over medium heat, add your onions and peppers and saute for 5-7 minutes or until softened.
2- Add the Kritharaki and stir for a few minutes to toast the kernels. Add the hot stock and tomato puree and bring to a boil while stirring. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
3- Transfer to an oven-proof baking vessel, add your pieces of chicken and bake uncovered for 40-45 minutes or until most of the juices have been absorbed and the top is golden brown.
*Serve hot with some fresh ground pepper and grated Kefalotyri cheese
🔺Receita (II)
- White Giouvetsi With Chicken (Λευκο Γιουβετσι με Κοτοπουλο)
1 whole free-range chicken, sectioned (or 4 chicken quarters)
1 small onion, roughly chopped
1/2 carrot, roughly chopped
1/2 stalk of celery, roughly chopped
enough water to cover the pieces of chicken
coarse sea salt to taste
1 1/2 cups of Kritharaki (or orzo pasta)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 1/2 cups hot chicken stock
1 heaping Tbsp. of tomato paste
fresh ground to taste
grated dried Greek Myzithra cheese (or your favourite grated cheese)
Instructions
1- Pre-heated 375F oven. Rinse your chicken well and separate the two leg/thigh sections, breasts, wings, etc. Remove any excess fat and place in a large pot with the onion, carrot and celery.
2- Fill the pot with enough cold water to cover the chicken. Bring the water to a boil and skim then reduce to a simmer with the cover on. Skim the fat and season with coarse sea salt to taste and simmer for 45-60 minutes (longer if free range chicken) or until the meat on the chicken is fork-tender*.
3- Carefully remove the pieces of chicken with a slotted spoon and reserve.**
Pre-heated your oven to 375F and grab yourself a deep baking dish/casserole. Add the olive oil, kritharaki and tomato paste into the baking dish and mix together.
4- As soon as your oven has reached 375F, add the hot stock to the contents in the baking dish and stir to incorporate (important that oven is hot and stock is as well, so that your pasta doesn’t become mushy).
5- Place the pieces of chicken on top and season with fresh ground pepper.
Place in your pre-heated oven (uncovered) for 35-40 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed while baking and the chicken skin is golden abd crispy.
6- Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Divide and serve with grated dry Greek Myzithra cheese and pair with Domaine Skouras Moschofilero white.
Notes:
1- You made speed things up by add your chicken, vegetables and water (season lightly with salt) and place in a pressure cooker for about 20 minutes.
2- Discard the vegetables and reserve any leftover stock in a tub (freeze it for future use).
🔺Receita (III) - Mushroom Giouvetsi
1/2 cup dried mushrooms
6 cups hot water (or vegetable stock)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 carrot, peeled and grated
1 stalk of celery, finely diced
2-3 bay leaves
2 cups of assorted fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 cups of dry kritharaki (or orzo)
2 cups of crushed plum tomatoes (fresh or canned)
1/2 tsp. grated nutmeg
1 tsp. fresh thyme
1 tsp. dried Greek oregano
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Instructions;
Non-Lenten garnishes, grated Kefalotyri cheese. Place your dried mushrooms in large bowl and boil 6 cups of water then add into the bowl and cover.
Now place a large skillet on your stovetop and add the olive oil, onions, carrots, celery, fresh mushrooms and bay and sweat-down for 6-7 minutes.
Add the wine, tomatoes, thyme, oregano and season with salt and pepper and continue cooking for another 25-30 minutes or until most of the liquid has cooked down.
Preheat your oven to 375F. Add the kritharaki (orzo) and stir-in for 5 minutes to allow the pasta to toast. Take your bowl full of re-hydrated mushrooms and pass through a strainer (re-heat the mushroom stock if needed), chop the mushrooms and add it to the skillet (along with mushroom stock) and bring up to a boil.
Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, add the fresh grated nutmeg, chopped parsley and pour all the contents in a baking vessel/casserole or individual terra cotta “giouvetsi” vessels and place in your pre-heated oven for about 45 minutes or until most of the liquid has been absorbed and the top is golden brown.
🔺Receita Extra
Shrimp Giouvetsi
2 lbs. of uncooked (raw) shrimp, shelled and deveined
4 cups of water
1/3 cup olive oil
2 cups diced onions
5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/4 red pepper, diced
1/4 green pepper, diced
1/4 cup grated carrot
2 bay leaves
2 Tbsp. of of chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbsp. of tomato paste
1 cup of kritharaki (orzo)
1/4 cup of dry Greek wine
shrimp stock (made from the water and shrimp shells)
salt and pepper to taste
pinch of Boukovo (chilli flakes)
1 tsp. ground star anise
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill
Instructions
1- Pre-heated 375F oven. Place the shrimp shells in a pot with about 4 cups of water. Add a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 minutes and shut the heat off (your liquid will reduce to about 3 cups).
2- In the meantime, add your olive oil into a skillet over medium heat and now add the onions, garlic, peppers, carrot, bay, parsley and a pinch of salt and sweat the vegetables for about 5-7 minutes or until softened.
3- Add the tomato paste in the skillet and stir for a minute. Now add your kritharaki (orzo) and stir for a couple of minutes or until toasted and some kernels start to stick to the pan.
4- Add your wine and deglaze while stirring for a couple of minutes. Strain the shrimp stock and discard the shells. Add the hot shrimp stock into the skillet and bring to a boil and stir occasionally.
5- Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and add a pinch of Boukovo (chilli flakes) and star anise. Empty the contents of your skillet into a casserole/baking vessel. Your liquid should be about 1 inch above the the kritharaki (add some hot water if needed and adjust seasoning accordingly).
6- Remove your shrimp from your fridge and allow to comeback to room temperature. Place in your pre-heated oven for 30-35 minutes or until almost all the liquid has been absorbed.
7- Carefully remove the casserole from the oven and add chopped fresh dill and stir in. Place the shrimp on the bed of orzo and place back in the oven for about 5 minutes until your shrimp are pink and have formed a C-shape.
8- Remove from the oven, divide and serve, top with more finely chopped dill, a drizzle of Greek olive oil.
🔺Receita Especial
Giouvetsi With Veal (Μοσχαράκι-γιουβέτσι)
1 1/2 lb. veal shoulder, cut into pieces
2 cups of water
1/2 cup of olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 red pepper, seeded and diced
2 cups of krithiraki or orzo
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1/2 cup of pomodoro (jarred tomato sauce)
6 cups of veal, chicken or vegetable stock
Salt and pepper to taste
freshly grated Kefalotyri or Romano cheese
Instructions
1- Season your veal with salt and pepper. Pour your water into the pressure cooker and place your veal in. Secure the lid and crank the heat to high. As soon as your seal forms, you will hear the cooker whistling.
2- Turn down your heat to half (medium) and simmer the meat for 30 minutes. Take your cooker off the heat and release the pressure according to mfgr.’s instructions (for those without a pressure cooker, simmer in a covered pot for 90 minutes).
3- In a large pot with medium high heat, add your olive oil and your onions, garlic and red pepper and sweat for 5-6 minutes or until the onions have softened.
4- Now add your krithiraki and paprika and stir to coat and toast the pasta (for about 5 minutes). Add the tomato sauce, and stock (from the pressure cooker) (3 to 1 ratios of liquid to pasta) and bring to a boil while stirring. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
5- Once everything has come to a boil, add your veal, mix well and pour everything into a large casserole dish and bake in a preheated 375F oven for 45 minutes or until most of the liquid has absorbed and your top is golden brown.
6- Let stand for 10 minutes and serve in large bowls with freshly grated black pepper and Kefalotyri cheese.
