In Cyprus the 14th November is always celebrated as the last day before Christmas Lent. In the old days pigs were raised and fattened up for a whole year to be eaten on Christmas day. So, poultry that each household kept in their back yard (chickens, pigeons and rabbits) were slaughtered on the 14th. Stews, soups and pasta made in poultry stock were the menu of the day.
Homemade ravioli, the traditional bourekia with halloumi cheese and the sweet bourekia with anari (anari is similar to the Italian ricotta cheese) would accompany the great feast. For 40 days, children and grown ups would fast meat and dairy products. The recipes that follow are my grandmothers passed on to my mum. Tomatoes were out of season at the time so they had to use tomato paste.
Kaourmas (Chicken stew)
Serves 6
1kg potatoes
1/2 cup olive oil
1kg shallots
11/2kg chicken, cut in big pieces
1 tin chopped tomatoes
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2tsp ground cinnamon
· Wash, peel potatoes and cut in half. In a saucepan heat olive oil on high. Add potatoes and half cook. Remove with a slotted spoon to a clean bowl.
· Put peeled shallots in the same saucepan and cook on low until tender. Remove with a slotted spoon in the bowl with the potatoes.
· Put chunky chicken pieces in saucepan and cook stirring occasionally, until half cooked. Remove from the fire.
· In a clean saucepan, mix together the chicken, potatoes and shallots. Season with salt, pepper and cinnamon. Pour in the tomato juice and 3 glasses of water and simmer until cooked and sauce is thick.
Basic recipe for pasta / Bourekia
1kg village type flour
3 tbsp olive oil
Pinch of salt
Enough water to make soft dough
· Mix first three ingredients in a clean bowl. Rub together using your fingertips. Pour in water in a trickle and bring flour together. Knead to a soft consistency and leave to rest covered with a clean cloth.
Pasta cooked in chicken stock
Serves 6 – 8
1 basic pasta recipe
1 whole chicken
Dry anari grated
· Wash and clean well a free-range chicken. Boil in a casserole with plenty of water and a pinch of salt on high; skim froth. Simmer until well cooked. Remove chicken to a serving dish.
· Take small pieces of dough and using your palms roll out very thin sausages resembling spaghetti, onto a clean surface. Carry on the same way until you have used all dough.
· Add pasta thins in the boiling chicken stock and cook until cooked through. Serve with plenty of grated dry anari and chicken. Pour some stock over the pasta if liked.
Bourekia satgis with rice & halloumi
Makes 30
1 basic pasta recipe
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 cup flat rice
3 tbsp olive oil
21/2 cups halloumi, grated
1 tsp dry mint
· Make the dough as before. In a frying pan, add the olive oil and fry the onion until tender. Pour in 3 cups of water and let it boil on high. Add the rice and stir. Boil until almost all water has been absorbed. Remove from the fire and let it cool.
· Add the halloumi and dry mint to the rice mixture and mix well together.
· Using a rolling pin, roll small pieces of dough to thin round circles the size of a saucer. Place a spoonful of filling in the half part of the pastry and bring other half to cover the filling. With a fork press edges of the pastry to seal in the filling.
· Carry on until you have used up dough and filling. Brush satgi pan (a pan resembling a wog) with some olive oil. Fry bourekia in batches and serve steaming hot.
