Greek Lemon Chicken

This is a favourite for all the family and, my grand-daughter Leila says it is even better than party food and requests it for dinner whenever they are coming over!  Mind you, for an eight year old she does have very savoury tastes and snacks on feta cheese, olives and basil leaves!

This is one of those 'one pan dishes', very easy to make and most delicious to eat.  The secret is in the quality of the ingredients - fresh, free-range chicken is a must.

This kind of dish is served all over Greece, particularly with home-grown rooster, and lots of lemon, black pepper, garlic and rosemary for that distinctive Greek flavour.

If you recognise this shot, you have seen the movie!

In 2010, I had a special birthday with a '0' and decided to celebrate with some friends and had an unforgettable 'Mumma Mia' birthday on the Greek Islands of Skiathos and Skopelos, where they made the movie starring Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan.  These are part of the northern Aegean Sporadic Islands and were distinctive from their neighbours in the Cyclades by being very green and tree covered. Every one of the 300+ Greek Islands are unique and, for the adventurous traveller, that's the exciting thing about them.  If you don't like this one, well, move on to the next!

Skopelos

While not really enjoying Skiathos, because it was too touristy, we found heaven on Skopelos at the Adrina Hotel - where the location, beautiful room and food put a smile on all of our faces.  We savoured lots AND lots of the local food and we quickly dubbed this island 'Skoffalot'.

NOTE:  If you are in this part of the world it is worth taking a trip to the next island in this group, Alonnisos - a step back (or up, depending on how you look at it!) in peacefulness and beauty and, for some reason, a favourite with Norwegian travellers.  We had a great time there and enjoyed lots walking, swimming of yummy food!

Morning swim around the island anyone - believe me, we needed it?  Adrina Hotel, Skopelos

GREEK LEMON CHICKEN

1 free range chicken cut into pieces or simply butterflied in half

3 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tbs olive oil

2 tbsp fresh chopped rosemary - you can use thyme, tarragon and oregano as well

1 tbsp of chopped preserved lemon OR shredded lemon zest

Juice of 2 lemons

2 tsp ground black pepper - this dish requires lots

1 tsp ground sea salt

Bunch of baby carrots, washed

Waxy potatoes, cut into quarters - as many as you can fit in the dish

Coming on the Skiathos ferry into Skopelos harbour

METHOD

1. Heat oven on 190oC

2. Put everything in the bottom of a non-reactive casserole dish, apart from the chicken, carrots and potatoes, mix together until combined.

3.  Place the chicken, skin side down in the marinade and spoon some into the cavities in the top covering all of the chicken.

4.  Toss in the potatoes around the edge and turn them over in the marinade. 

5.  Cover with a lid or foil and place in the oven for 35 minutes.

6.  Take out of oven and remove lid.  Turn the chicken and potatoes over so that they can brown. Return to the oven for a further 20-25 minutess until chicken and potatoes are golden brown and cooked through.

7.  Have a glass of ouzo while the aromas waft around the house.

8.  Make a Greek salad to have with this deliciously 'sticky' and tangy chicken dish.

NOTE: The carrots take on a really delicious flavour from this lemony marinade - prepare for a tastebud sensation!

Greek salad, made with ripe tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, red onion, a slab of local feta, sprinkle of herbs, salt and pepper, squeeze of lemon juice and good olive oil.  This is a salad that requires honesty - only use seasonal and good quality ingredients otherwise it will taste like all of those Greek salads offered up in fast food outlets - dead and tasteless - this is what the 'slow food' bit means in web site! 

House on Alonissos in the hilltop Kastro

Sign in the village square on Allonissos - I think of this every time I am putting the garbage out!

Greek lemon chicken - great to cook at home, but better on a Greek Island. (You can probably tell that I am not going this year so am feeling a little nostalgic!)  Kali orexi!

Amaranth - Top Plants

Amaranthus bicolour  variety 'Red Calaloo'
Amaranth, love-lies-bleeding, pigweed, spinach grass
CHENOPIDACEAE 

One of the things I really love about writing this blog is how much I learn - I just never know where a chance encounter with a plant, food or people is going to take me.  

The Balinese kitchen garden - amaranth growing in the foreground (also notice the yummy snake beans on the right)

Now take  Amaranth - such a useful plant for the subtropical kitchen garden, incredibly underused and virtually unknown in this part of the world.  I first encountered it in my Balinese kitchen garden where it was a staple crop and used by the locals in anything where 'greens' were needed.  They call it bayam.  I noticed then that it was very prolific and virtually unaffected by pests.

I have had the red/green leaved amaranth ('Red Calaloo') happily growing in my kitchen garden for the past few months surviving all the vagaries of Mullumbimby summer weather and pests.

FACT:  Amaranth is in the CHENOPIDACEAE family - it is not in the cabbage family (BRASSICACEAE) so does get affected by pests in that family e.g. caterpillar of the cabbage white butterfly (click here for more information).

Bunches of amaranth for sale in Sydney (Amaranth biclour 'Red Calaloo')

There is always a trigger that sends me up the garden path and makes me want to write a story about something.  With amaranth it was seeing big, beautiful bunches of it for sale in a shopping centre in Sydney (Randwick) - something I don't remember when I lived there - it was labelled as en choy.  I asked the shop assistant who mostly bought it and he said Greek and Asian people. 

Then I remembered that I had also seen it for sale in Greece where it is used as a substitute spinach and part of their horta (wild greens) repertoire.  The diet of the average Greek has changed, but grasses, weeds and leafy greens have always constituted a regular part of a native Greek's traditional daily meals.  There are many different varieties of amaranth and in Greece the green leaf kind (grown under dry conditions) is known as vliti and the red/green mottled variety (which needs wetter coditions) referred to as papagalos or "parrot" - the kind I have growing in my garden and the same for sale in Sydney.

Local vegetables for sale on the Greek Island of Ios - the black crate at the back is full of the green leaf amaranth (vliti)

WHY SHOULD WE BE PLANTING AMARANTH? Firstly, this is a summer vegetable that survives the wet and heat of summer when just about everything else has turned up its toes.  Secondly, it is extremely nutritious and versatile to cook with - think substitute for spinach. Lastly, as I have mentioned, it is largely unaffected by pests. 

DESCRIPTION

• Amaranth species are broad-leaved annuals, usually single stemmed, growing up to 2m in a season.
• They are grown for two main purposes; their protein-rich grain and nutritious leafy greens.
• Ornamental varieties are also grown for their showy plumes of flowers in shades of pink,scarlet, orange, yellow and purple (Prince of Wales Feather and Joesph's Coat)
• Propagate readily from seed sown in spring.
  
  Amaranth growing in my garden (also next to snake beans!)

CULTIVATION.  A very fast-growing, tough, easy-to-grow plant.

• Amaranth grows best in full sun and does not tolerate shade.
• There is a variety to suit every location, but Amaranth bicolour is best for the sub-tropics. Check with your local seed supplier to find the best one for your location.
• A.bicolour is not pH fussy but grows best in a lightly acid soil of 6.
• It is tolerant of heat and wet conditions, but not water logged soil.
• Grows best in soils that have been compost enriched and then mulched to prevent drying out.
  
  This red flowering variety of amaranth is often sold, around our way, as a food plant and while, undoubtedly, you could eat it - it is really best for feeding to the chooks.  It goes to seeds very quickly and produces little in the way of edible leaves.  You can't go past the 'Red Calaloo' for eating.

FOOD.  Both Leaves, young stalk and seeds of this plant can be used.

• Young stalks can be lightly cooked and are asparagus like in taste.
• Young leaves are either lightly steamed or stir-fried, and have a mild, spinach-like flavour - the leaves are added to curries in India. 
• In Greece leaves are used as a substitute for spinach in pies and fritters. With wild greens of any kind (horta) the traditional way to prepare them is to blanch the leaves in boiling water then toss them in olive oil, lemon juice, a little garlic and salt and pepper.
• I have no experience of cooking the seeds - I just know that chickens love the seeds heads and they always know what's good for them!  They are one of the most protein rich seeds so maybe that has something to do with it.

NUTRITION:

• The plants contain an unusual chemical called squalene (also found in shark's liver), which is a powerful antioxidant and has been used to boost the immune system and to treat hypertension, skin problems and metabolic disorders.
• Plants contain betalain, which give the plant much of its red colouring.  These powerful antioxidant compounds are fairly unusual in the plant world, and have significant nutritional benefits.
• The seeds are very high in proteins:15-18% and low in gluten They are also a good source of calcium, iron, phosphates and vitamin A.*

RECIPE:  Stir-fried amaranth with prawns and calamari. 5 minutes cooking time (30 minutes preparation!)

A bowl of vegetables from my kitchen garden - including amaranth

I always look forward to coming home after being away for a while and I am always hoping that I have something in the untended garden to either make a salad or a stir-fry with.  I was not disappointed - lots of lovely amaranth, snake beans, kale, capsicum and chillies.  Add some Thai basil, lemon grass and kaffir lime leaves and dinner was on it's way. Luckily my flight comes into Ballina, that has one of the few remaining seafood markets - and you just never know what the fishermen have pulled up.  A quick detour on my way home brought up some very cheap baby squid and green prawns - I was just not that happy that cleaning them was the first job I had to do when I walked in the door!

All cleaned - baby squid and green prawns

1 bunch amaranth, roughly chopped.

500g mixed fresh seafood - you could use firm, white fish. (I sliced the squid into circles/slices)

1 small brown onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed,

1 long red chilli, finely sliced (adjust to taste for hotness)

1 bunch snake beans, chopped into small pieces

1 stem lemongrass, white part only, finely sliced

small bunch kale, finely chopped

handful Thai basil leaves

4 kaffir lime leaves

1 tbs peanut oil

2 tbs fish sauce

2 tbs light soy sauce

1 tbs shaved palm sugar

1 tsp ground white pepper

juice of half a lime

1.  Heat oil in wok and add onion.  Stir for 1 minute.

2.  Make sure wok is very hot then add seafood and toss around for another minute.

3.  Add chopped vegetables, garlic, chilli, kaffir lime leaves and chopped lemon grass.  Toss for 1 minute.

4.  Add everything else , except lime juice, and toss for another minute.  Squeeze over lime juice just before serving.  Serve with rice.  Enough for 4

NOTE:  Stir-fry's are very flexible dishes - which is probably why thy are so popular.  You could swap the seafood for chicken and use any greens/beans/broccoli/cauliflower/snow peas/capsicum/carrots/bean sprouts/cashew nuts etc.

The name Amaranth comes from the Greek amaranthos (αμάρανθος) the "un-withering," or “fadeless” (flower). Associated since the most ancient times with the goddess of the hunt, Artemis (Diana) - I knew there had to be a reason why I was going up this particular garden path!

*Discovering Vegetables, Herbs, Spices, Dr. Susanna Lyle, CSIRO Publishing.2009