Our Executive Chef guides you to “A la Polita” recipe, a favorite Greek course of Alios Ilios Restaurant
“A la polita”, an aromatic Greek recipe initially made only with artichokes is a classic example of Greek cooking which, due to the custom of extended periods of fasting during the year, are by tradition, both vegan and extremely healthy, while still bearing all the rich exuberant flavours of the Greek countryside. Our Executive Chef, Vassilis Katsikas, ads a twist combining it with sea bream or any other whitefish of your choice, while our Maitre d’Hotel, Giorgos Tsionogiorgos, suggests you the right wine to accompany your dinner.
Bon Appetit!
A LA POLITA RECIPE
Sea bream:
Scale and gut the fish carefully. Cut two fillets out of the fish and de-bone them with a large set of tweezers. Preheat the grill plate or the frying pan and add a dash of sunflower oil. When it is going to get really hot, add the bream fillets skin side down. During cooking, check the fish to see it gradually lose its translucency and become nearly opaque, until the flesh gets opaque two-thirds of the way up. Turn the fillets and cook on the other side for 1 minute.
“A la polita”:
Ingredients:
- 30gr chopped onion
- 30gr carrots cut in large dice (each side being 1cm)
- 30gr diced potato (each side being 1cm)
- and 30gr precooked peas.
In a pan sauté the onions, the carrots, the diced potatoes, and the peas. Add a vegetable bouillon little by little, until the vegetables are cooked through and most of the water has reduced. Make sure the vegetables are tender without being too soft and add lemon and chopped dill.
Artichoke purée:
Remove all the outer leaves and the choke (furry core) near the base of 3 artichokes. Sauté the artichoke hearts with a little chopped onion and one clove of garlic. Pour in 30ml white wine and let it reduce. Add a vegetable bouillon and cook until the artichokes become tender. Finely chop the dill and add it to the pot. Strain and blend in a thermo mix or mixer, adding cow butter and a dash of olive oil until blitzing into a delicious, smooth purée.
For the Ouzo foam:
Ingredients:
- 50gr water
- 50gr milk
- 4gr sugar
- 20gr ouzo
- 2gr lecithin powder
Method:
In a saucepan heat the water, the milk and the sugar. Add all the other ingredients and blend with a beamer. Bring the beamer close to the surface of the mixture to create foam.
WINE PAIRING:
Enjoy it with, Pinot Grigio Santa Margherita Alto Adige DOC. Straw yellow color, dry, with intense aromas and appealing flavors of Golden Delicious apples and citrus with a long, multi-layered finish. Excellent as an aperitif and with a medium body that makes it versatile to pair with everything, from salads to chicken or grilled fish to vegetables.
Grapes: Pinot Grigio Alcohol: 12%
Serving temperature: 50-54 °F 10-12 °C
Aging potential: 1-2 years, meant to be enjoyed fresh
