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For a more traditional version of this dish, add 2 tablespoons of tomato paste to the stuffing mixture.

STUFFED BABY EGGPLANTS

PAPOUTSAKIA

SERVES 12 AS AN APPETIZER OR PART OF A LARGER SPREAD, OR 6 AS A MAIN COURSE

Papoutsakia translates from Greek as “cute little shoes.” Try to find very small, young eggplants—they have not yet matured and so have fewer seeds, which tend to be bitter.

6 very small globe or Japanese eggplants, halved lengthwise

Extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and cracked black pepper

Pinch ground cinnamon, plus 2½ teaspoons, for the filling

1 tablespoon blended oil (90 percent canola, 10 percent extra-virgin olive)

½ Spanish or sweet onion, finely chopped

12 ounces ground beef

1 fresh bay leaf or 2 dried leaves

2 tablespoons tomato paste

cup red wine

1 quart water

1 teaspoon small, picked thyme

1 cup Greek Béchamel Sauce (page 274, with one egg whisked in)

cup finely grated graviera cheese

Small handful torn fresh herbs, such as dill, mint, parsley, and/or chives

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Make deep, crisscross slashes in the cut sides of the eggplant halves. Brush the eggplant with olive oil and season with kosher salt, pepper, and a little cinnamon. Wrap each half in a square of foil and roast until quite tender, about 35 to 40 minutes. Scoop out the eggplant flesh without piercing the shell. Chop the eggplant flesh.

Warm a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat, add the blended oil, and sweat the onion (2 to 3 minutes). Add ground beef and brown thoroughly. Add the chopped eggplant, bay leaf, 2½ teaspoons cinnamon, and tomato paste; stir for 1 minute. Deglaze the pot with the red wine and let it all evaporate. Add the water, thyme, 1 tablespoon salt, and a generous grinding of pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, partially cover the pot, and simmer until the sauce is quite dry, about 60 to 65 minutes, checking and stirring frequently.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Put the eggplant halves in a small roasting pan and stuff with the meat mixture. Spoon a layer of béchamel sauce over the stuffing and scatter with the graviera. Roast for about 15 minutes, until golden brown. Drizzle the top with some of the rendered fat from the roasting pan and scatter with fresh herbs.

GRILLED PORGIES

SINAGRIDA STIN SCHARA

SERVES 4 TO 8, DEPENDING ON THE SIZE OF THE FISH

This is an amazing process! By leaving the scales on the fish you protect it from the fierce heat of the grill, and the layer of fat underneath the skin bastes the flesh, keeping it moist and tender—almost like whole fish baked in salt. The skin puffs up as the fish chars on the hot grill, and when it’s done you can easily lift it away. Don’t make this recipe unless you have a real grill; charcoal is best, but gas will work too. This dish does not lend itself to a grill pan.

4 whole porgies or any kind of sea bream, gutted but not scaled

Extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and cracked black pepper

Ladolemono (page 270)

Small handful torn fresh herbs, such as dill, mint, parsley, and/or chives

Preheat a charcoal or gas grill until very, very hot. Brush the fish on all sides with a little olive oil and season liberally with kosher salt and pepper.

Grill the fish until firm and very char-marked. The skin will blister and raise slightly, and may crack a little.

Lift away the skin, then flip over and remove the skin from the other side. Lift off the fillet, then remove and discard the skeleton. Drizzle the meat generously with Ladolemono and scatter with the fresh herbs. Serve the heads and tails to anyone who asks for them.

SHRIMP WIATH ORZO & TOMATO

GARIDES, KRITHARAKI, TOMATA

SERVES 4 AS AN ENTRÉE

This is a one-pot meal that should take, at the most, 15 minutes to throw together. The results, however, would suggest otherwise. This dish is also a great example of the interesting combination of fish and cheese. Historically, the Greeks have had a long love affair with cheese, and it is used in many dishes where it would be absolute heresy in other cuisines.