Hearty local dishes enjoyed for decades on the island
Recipes with Loulla Astin
Sesame Coated Fried Halloumi with Honey
These fried cheese slices with a crispy sesame crust and a drizzle of honey make a delicious appetizer or are perfect for breakfast or lunch with toasted sourdough bread. If you are like me, I always have Cypriot Halloumi in my fridge (it’s my indulgent snack for any time of day). It was a best seller at my restaurant (The Kosmos Taverna) which I ran for 40 years!
8 slices of Cypriot Halloumi, each piece about ½ inch thick, and 2½ inches long)
2 large eggs (lightly beaten)
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup fine semolina
1 cup white sesame seeds
2 tbsp black sesame seeds
Olive or vegetable oil for frying
Greek honey for drizzling
Mix semolina and flour together. Place flour and semolina mixture in a bowl, beaten eggs in another bowl, and all the sesame seeds in a separate bowl.
Set all three bowls aside.
Rinse the cheese in cold water to remove any salty residue and pat completely dry with a paper towel.
Working with one with one slice of cheese at a time, dip the cheese into the egg then into the flour and semolina mixture ensuring that it is well coated on all sides. Dip the cheese back into the egg, and then into the bowl with the sesame seeds, again ensuring that it is fully coated with them. Set aside on a plate lined with parchment paper and repeat with the rest of the cheese.
It is best placed it in the fridge for 30 minutes before frying.
In a large enough frying pan to fit 4 slices of cheese for shallow frying, pour in enough vegetable oil about 2.5cm/ 1 inch to completely cover the bottom of the pan.
When are ready to cook them, heat the oil in the pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the cheese carefully. Cook on both sides for 2 minutes, or until golden brown, place on kitchen paper.
Place 2 slices of cheese per person on a serving dish and drizzle all over with honey and serve immediately.
Kolokasi with Koupepia/Dolmathes
A delicious dish from my dad’s village, Argaki, in the north of Cyprus. We lived in the south of the island, where Kolokasi with Koupepia were not cooked in this way, and so I have fabulous memories of eating this meal when I would visit my Yiayia Argyra Shiali.
Kolokasi is loved by all Cypriots; it’s a starchy root vegetable known as taro root. It’s actually a native of the Pacific – the common belief is that the Romans introduced it to Cyprus.
For the koupepia/dolmathes
250g minced pork or lamb
1 shallot or small onion, finely chopped
75g long grain rice, washed and drained
1 tomato, finely chopped or grated
½ tsp salt
Ground black pepper
2 tbsp tomato puree
2 tbsp olive oil
Juice of half a lemon
2-3 tbsp chopped fresh mint
2-3 tbsp chopped parsley
Vine leaves (preserved in brine)
For the stew
700g taro root
700g boneless pork shoulder, cut into large pieces
150ml light olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 celery sticks, cut into chunks
3 tbsp tomato puree
1-2 small cinnamon sticks
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp sugar
Salt and pepper
Juice of half a lemon or more
First, prepare the stuffed vine leaves. Cut the stalks from the leaves, rinse in hot water and drain. Mix all the filling ingredients together, then take one or two vine leaves at a time, place shiny side downwards and add a tablespoon of the filling at the stem end, fold both edges inward and roll into a firm fat cigar shape. Repeat until they are all done and then place in the fridge.
Next, prepare the taro. Top and tail the taro, peel it, wipe – do not wash, and with a sharp small pointed knife, snap chunks of it off. This method prevents it from it becoming slimy and also helps it cook better.
Heat the olive oil in a large heavy saucepan, season the pork and fry gently until lightly browned, remove and keep to one side on kitchen paper.
Season the taro with salt and pepper and gently fry until golden, remove and keep to one side.
In the same oil, sauté the onions with the celery, cinnamon sticks and cook for 5 minutes. Return the meat to the pan, mix in the tomato puree, cook for a few minutes and add the taro, season lightly with salt, pepper and ground cinnamon and add enough warm water to cover the meat by 3cm.
Tuck the koupepia nicely, add the lemon juice, place a cartouche (a large round piece of parchment paper scrunched up) on top, half cover with a lid and simmer on a low heat for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the pork is tender – do not stir the stew when cooking, just shake the saucepan a couple of times.
Serve the Cypriot way, accompanied with raw onion and lots of crunchy bread!
Loulla’s book My Kosmos My Kitchen can be ordered from www.amazon.com or www.austinmacauley.com/book/my-kosmos-my-kitchen. For more traditional Greek and Cypriot recipes and inspiration, join Loulla’s Facebook group Loulla’s Recipe Share
