Greek Cooking Methods

Greek foods are fried, sautéed, simmered, boiled, braised, stewed, baked, roasted, grilled, poached, pickled, puréed, and preserved. Generally, they are not smoked in home cooking.

When foods are named after the way they are cooked, as in kalamarakia tiganita (fried squid) they are called:

Kapama (stovetop meat or poultry casserole in a sweet and spicy tomato sauce), in Greek καπαμά, pronounced kah-pah-MAH

Kokkinisto (stovetop meat or poultry casserole in a tomato sauce), in Greek κοκκινιστό, pronounced koh-kee-nee-STOH

Lather, ladera (stovetop vegetable, legume (pulses), and/or rice casseroles cooked with olive oil), in Greek λαδερά, pronounced lah-theh-RAH

Ogkraten (the Greek version of "au gratin" baked with a bechamel sauce and sprinkled cheese), in Greek ογκρατέν, pronounced oh-grah-TEN

Pane (fried after dipping in egg, flour, and crumbs), in Greek πανέ, pronounced pah-NAY

Plaki (oven casserole), in Greek πλακί, pronounced plah-KEE

Pose (poached), in Greek ποσέ, pronounced po-ZAY

Poure (purée), in Greek πουρέ, pronounced poor-RAY

Psito (roasted), in Greek ψητό, pronounced psee-TOH

Skharas (grilled), in Greek σχάρας, pronounced SKHAH-rahss
or sti skhara (on the grill), in Greek στη σχάρα, pronounced stee SKHAH-rah

Sote (sautéed), in Greek σοτέ, pronounced so-TAY

Stifatho (stewed with lots of pearl onions), in Greek στιφάδο, pronounced stee-FAH-thoh

Sto fourno (baked, literally means "in the oven"), in Greek στο φούρνο, pronounced stoh FOOR-no

Tiganita (fried in a skillet, from the Greek word for skillet, tigani), in Greek τηγανητά, pronounced tee-ghah-nee-TAH

Toursi (pickled), in Greek τουρσί, pronounced toor-SEE

Yahni (stewed, ragout style), in Greek γιαχνί, pronounced yah-HNEE

There are others, and there are many using regional dialects, but those are the basics.

What You Need to Know About Traditional Greek Cooking

Traditional Greek cooking grew out of a rural lifestyle lived by people who were poor in the economic sense, but wealthy in imagination and creativity. A few basic guidelines ensure that Greek foods are at their very best in taste, nutrition, and economy.

Seasonal: Keep it Fresh: Traditional Greek cooking fully celebrates the seasons. Fresh ingredients are part of every traditional Greek cook's life, and daily shopping trips are the norm.

Scratch: Start at the Beginning: Traditional Greek dishes are made from scratch. Commercially-prepared ingredients are rarely used.

Simple: Fabulous Taste with Time-tested Methods: The art of great Greek cooking is to keep it simple, celebrating the taste of fresh ingredients and fabulous combinations of herbs and spices, rather than covering them up. Grilling, baking, roasting, frying, and stewing are some of the favorite cooking methods used.

Slow: Don't Rush It: In your vocabulary, "slow cooker" may mean a kitchen appliance but, when it comes to traditional Greek cooking, slow is the only way to cook. To speed things up, pressure cookers may be used, but they're used to reduce cooking times from 4-5 hours or longer to 1-2 hours... still slow by most definitions. When the food cooks slowly, tastes have time to meld, creating mouthwatering dishes that most Greeks easily identify with their mothers' and grandmothers' kitchens.

How To Make Thick, Strained Yogurt

The thick, strained yogurt used in Greek cooking may not be available in your local market. Learn to make your own using commercial or homemade full-fat, low-fat, and even fat-free yogurt. It's not only great for preparing Greek foods, but you'll love it for other uses as well!

Here's How:

1. Line a medium-large bowl with a piece of cheesecloth or a clean white dish towel.
2. Dump a container of plain (unflavored), yogurt into the center of the cloth.
3. Bring the four corners of the cloth together and lift the yogurt.
4. Over the bowl or sink, twist the corners to squeeze out the liquid (it will drain through the cloth).
5. Continue squeezing, putting the yogurt under pressure, to force the liquid out.
6. When the majority of the surface liquid has been drained, it will start to drip more slowly. Tie off the top of the cloth just above the mass of yogurt with string.
7. Place the cloth containing the yogurt in a strainer or colander, and place the strainer or colander in a bowl where it doesn't touch the bottom (so that the liquid can continue to drain).
8. Place the bowl containing the strainer/colander in the refrigerator and allow to drain for 2-3 hours.
9. After draining, take the cloth containing the yogurt and put it in the sink (do not remove the string).
10. Place the palms of your hands on the bag and press down to force out any remaining liquid.
11. Remove the string, open the cloth, and using a spatula, put the yogurt in a bowl for use.
12. Note: How thick is thick? The yogurt should be the consistency of whipped butter or cream cheese.

What You Need:
* medium-large mixing bowl
* cheesecloth or clean white dishtowel
* commercial or homemade full-fat, low-fat, or fat-free yogurt, plain unflavored
* string
* strainer or colander