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SARDINE MEZE

FOR THE THÁSSOS OLIVE OIL

1 cup Dried Thássos Olives (page 232)

¼ cup Thássos olives, pitted

1 to 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

FOR THE PICKLED SARDINES

4 whole, very fresh sardines

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

1 fresh bay leaf

1 sprig thyme

Zest of 1 lemon

1 cup dry white wine

1 pint white wine vinegar

½ cup kosher salt

½ cup sugar

Extra-virgin olive oil

FOR THE CUCUMBER PLANKS

½ English cucumber, peeled

TO ASSEMBLE

Thássos Olive Oil

Pickled Sardines

Extra-virgin olive oil

Small pinch dry Greek oregano

Sea salt and cracked black pepper

Cucumber Planks

2 teaspoons Greek or sheep’s milk yogurt

2 Thássos olives, pitted and slivered

Small, picked sprigs dill

THÁSSOS OLIVE OIL

Place the Dried Thássos Olives in a blender and purée to a fine powder, scraping down the sides. Add the fresh olives bit by bit, puréeing after each addition, until the olive purée is a thick, loose paste. Slowly incorporate the olive oil, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the purée is only just pourable.

PICKLED SARDINES

Remove the fillets from the sardines and trim them to a nice, neat shape.

Lightly toast the spices in a dry saucepan. Add the bay leaf, thyme, lemon zest, and wine. Reduce the liquid by half. Stir in the vinegar, kosher salt, and sugar. Chill the liquid.

Place the sardines in a container and cover with the cold pickling liquid. Let stand for 30 minutes. Drain off the pickling liquid, and keep the sardines in the olive oil until serving.

CUCUMBER PLANK

Cut four slices of cucumber inch thick; trim to the same size as the sardines.

TO ASSEMBLE

In each vessel, make a small pool of the Thássos Olive Oil. Paint each Pickled Sardine with a little olive oil and season with a few grains of oregano, sea salt, and black pepper.

Place a sardine on each Cucumber Plank and place on top of the pool of olive oil. Make a small dot of yogurt and a dot of Thássos Olive Oil in the center of each sardine. Garnish with a sliver of Thássos olive and a dill sprig.

HAMACHI MEZE

FOR THE SPICE-RUBBED HAMACHI

1 teaspoon Cretan Spice Mix (page 270)

1 teaspoon Dried Lemon Zest (page 270) or ½ teaspoon fresh-grated lemon zest

2 ounces hamachi (yellowtail)

Extra-virgin olive oil

Sea salt

FOR THE PICKLED CELERY HEARTS

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

½ cup dry white wine

1 cup white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons kosher salt

2 tablespoons sugar

1 small, pale yellow celery heart, leaves reserved

FOR THE OUZO-MACERATED CHERRIES

1 cup ouzo

4 tart dried cherries

TO ASSEMBLE

Spiced Rubbed Hamachi cubes

Ouzo-Macerated Cherries

Pickled Celery Heart

Reserved celery leaves

Extra-virgin olive oil

SPICE-RUBBED HAMACHI

Combine the Cretan Spice Mix and the Dried Lemon Zest.

Slice the hamachi across the loin into four 1-inch cubes. Paint the hamachi cubes with olive oil and press the spice-lemon mix into the top surface only of each cube. Season with sea salt and reserve

OUZO-MACERATED CHERRIES

In a small saucepan, reduce the ouzo by half. Add the cherries, and simmer until reconstituted and soft. Reserve.

PICKLED CELERY HEARTS

In a dry pan, lightly toast the spices. Add the wine and reduce by half. Add the vinegar, kosher salt, and sugar. Simmer the pickling liquid for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, slice the celery heart inch thick and place in a heatproof container. Pass the hot pickling liquid through a fine sieve over the celery heart. Let it soak overnight, or as long as possible.

TO ASSEMBLE

In each vessel, place a Spice-Rubbed Hamachi cube. Put an Ouzo-Macerated Cherry and a pinch of the Pickled Celery Heart up against one side of the cube. Garnish with tiny celery leaves, and drizzle with a little olive oil.

BOTAN SHRIMP MEZE

FOR THE OVEN-DRIED TOMATOES

2 Roma tomatoes, peeled, quartered, and seeded

3 cloves garlic, smashed

Extra-virgin olive oil

Sea salt and cracked black pepper

1 sprig thyme

FOR THE TOMATO VINEGAR SYRUP

17-ounce bottle of Mutti Tomato Vinegar