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Each region is known for their own unique cuisine and culture. And it is the distinct flavour that makes one associate particular dishes with a certain area. Take Greece for instance. The subtlety of flavours and the refreshing use of herbs makes Greek food stand apart. The simplicity with which each dish is made and the use of fresh ingredients lends the cuisine a charm of its own.
However, for those untouched by the phenomenon, Greek food is largely a combination of pita bread and dips like hummus. To bring the authentic Greek flavours to the table and introduce the world to a vast expanse of dishes, this themed-microbrewery of Delhi-NCR has launched a special Greek menu. Located in the heart of Cyber Hub in Gurugram, The Drunken Botanist has come up with Opa nights every Saturday where one can enjoy hand-picked dishes by Chef Aakash Nakra, Executive Chef, The Drunken Botanist.
They’ve got a separate food and cocktails menu, inspired by Greek cuisine and we tried a plethora of items on offer. We began with the Moussaka Zucchini cups for starters. For the unversed, moussaka is the Greek equivalent of lasagna. Very similar is shape, it is the filling that differs. While it is usually made with eggplant or potatoes, this one had sliced zucchinis covered in a thick sauce. Although ground meat stuffing is common in a moussaka, this was a vegetarian dish on the menu.
Chef Aakash also highlighted the differences and similarities between the Indian palette and Greek cuisine. He states, “The ingredients plays a major role, like feta cheese, olive oil, Greek yoghurt, phyllo dough etc. These make them stand apart from Indian cuisine. But at the same time, the use of cumin, coriander, oregano , mint, garlic etc. in Greek cooking is what links it to Indian flavours. Moreover, cooking methods like grilling or roasting in Greek food is quiet similar to the clay pot roasting technique utilized in many Indian dishes.
Next up, we digged into some delicious Chicken gyros from the non-vegetarian section. Gyros, for the uninitiated, are Greek-style sandwiches or rolls which are made with pita bread. The soft bread is stuffed with meat, vegetables and sauce. The staples of the chicken gyro that we picked from the menu were onions, tomatoes, lettuce, tzatziki sauce and shredded chicken. Wrapped together, the dish had a refreshing taste.
Finally, we picked a delightful seafood combination that swayed our palettes. The Prawns and Fish in Chimichhuri sauce had fresh and herby flavours that were perfect for summer. Chimichhuri sauce is a standard uncooked sauce made from parsley, oregano, garlic, olive oil and other herbs. The light condiment is usually paired with grilled meat and sometimes, also used in cooking. The herby mixture was used for coating the prawns and fish that were cooked in café de Paris butter.
To sip along with these Greek delicacies, there were a variety of options to choose from and Greek mimosa definitely won us over. The sparkling wine with flavours of rose and orange complimented the food really well. The sweet tooth was satiated with the Greek honey cake, with a tinge of orange. After relishing a simple yet flavourful Greek fare, we’ve fetched the recipe of the dish we liked the most i.e. Prawns and Fish In Chimichhuri sauce for you.
Ingredients:
• 5 pieces prawns with tail
• 80 gms river sole fish slice
• 10 mls olive oil
For café de paris butter
• 50 gms unsalted butter
• ½ tsp dijon mustard
• 1 no. garlic clove crushed
• 10 gms finely chopped chives
• 25 gms finely chopped parsley
• 1 dash worcestershire sauce
• ½ tsp lemon juice
• 10 gms grated parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste
For chimichurri sauce
• 60 mls olive oil
• 10 mls red wine vinegar
• 40 gms chopped parsley
• 3 nos garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 nos small red chili, deseeded and finely chopped
• ½ tsp dry oregano
• ½ tsp sea salt
• ¼ tsp freshly crushed black pepper
Method:
• For chimichurri sauce, mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.
• For café de Paris butter, mix all the ingredients with soft butter and refrigerate into a block, divide the block into three parts and use.
• Set a pan on medium flame, add olive oil, add the seafood to it with one part of café de Paris butter and saute it until cooked.
• On a platter, lay a bed of 1 tbsp chimichurri sauce and placed the cooked seafood on top.
• Pour some more chimichurri sauce on top and serve.
