If you have a Greek friend – or are a Grozzie (Greek Australian) yourself – you'll know that you can turn up announced at their house at dinner time, they'll look in the 'fridge and hey presto! A great tasting meal will be produced with seemingly little effort and modest cost.
And if you're lucky enough to have a range of Greek friends from different islands or the mainland, you will also know there are slight variations on the same meal.
Here's a simple but delicious meal that is quick to get ready and your family will love it – even if you have children who are not yet into tarama (fish roe), leave that off their portion and just put it on yours. Get in the mood by downloading some George Dalaras from iTunes or, if you prefer to singalong, some good old-fashioned Nana Mouskouri; and just for the night, transport yourself to a Greek island – such as Santorini (pictured).
Ingredients
1 500g packet of spaghetti
1 cup of coarse bread crumbs
1/4 cup finely chopped blanched almonds
3-4 tablespoon tarama (fish roe)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 cloves of garlic
1 shot of Ouzo
zest of 2 lemons
1 teaspoon dried Greek oregano
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh shallots
lemon juice to taste
just a teaspoon of chilli flakes
Method
1. Bring large saucepan of water to a boil, season with salt and cook spaghetti until al dente.
2. In the meantime, add some olive oil into a small pan and add the breadcrumbs, almonds and lightly toast while stirring. Add the Ouzo, Tarama, garlic and stir for another minute or until the Ouzo has been absorbed. Take off the heat, add the chopped fresh parsley, lemon zest, oregano and adjust seasoning (tarama, bread crumbs, zest or herbs) as required.
3. Once spaghetti is cooked, drain and place back in the pot with the olive oil, garlic, bread crumb mixture and chilli flakes and a good squeeze of lemon juice. Adjust seasoning (add any of the ingredients you feel needs accent and divide and serve).
4. Serve with a chilled bottle of white wine, some fresh crusty bread and a green salad.
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