Christmas in Greece: pork stew and Christmas cookie recipe

Pork Stew with Celery and Avgolemono Sauce and Melomakarona Cookies. 

  As we have been coming up to Christmas I’ve been thinking about (and cooking) lots of different Christmas dinner recipes, after 30 years or so roast turkey can get a bit old! So what, I wondered, are the traditional Christmas recipes of Greece? It would need further investigation, and some sampling of Greek recipes at home too. Thankfully after trying these recipes at home I can share two fantastic Greek Christmas recipes with you. 

  Christmas in Greece : Greece isn’t the first place most people will think about when it comes to either Christmas or Christmas recipes. Traditional Christmas images are of houses and fields coated in a blanket of snow, not what I think of when Greece comes to mind. I have to say that although I am a big fan of all things Greek, specially the food, I didn’t know too much about Christmas in Greece till I started looking into its Christmas recipes. I did know that Greece is the heart of the Eastern Orthodox Church but it was interesting to learn that many of the traditional celebrations in Greece today go back far before the church to the ancient Greek festivals and gods. It seems Christmas in Greece is well worth a second look.

  One of the first things I learned about a Greek Christmas is that leading up to the day itself many Greek’s will have been fasting from mid November to December 24th, similar to lent. Foods from red blooded animals and dairy products are out, as are eggs. Other foods, such as fish, olive oil and wine are only allowed on certain days. So in the 40 days running up to Christmas a lot of the best foods are just off the table. I don’t find things like lent or the nativity fast easy, though this year I have been on a mini-diet in December so maybe next year I’ll c. I have chosen to share two recipes with you which are traditionally eaten at this time of year in Greece and which celebrate many of the ingredients which you can’t use during the nativity fast. Both are easy to make and I think they are great alternatives to Christmas recipes you might be used to, who knows you may find a new Christmas favourite!



Recipes 


Pork Stew with Celery and Avgolemono Sauce :

    I’ll start with the savoury, before we get to the sweet treats. This recipe celebrates the ingredients pork, olive oil and eggs all on the nativity fasting no-no list. It makes a great dinner and I think it would work equally well in summer or winter. Pork dishes abound at this time of year due to the winter hog slaughter, making it the natural choice for Christmas meals. This recipe combines it with vegetables around at this time of year and is one of the many traditional Greek pork recipes.


  Take a large saucepan or casserole pan. Melt the butter with the olive oil and, once hot, saute the diced pork till browned on both sides. Remove the pork to a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain some of the fat.

  Next add the onions, fennel and leeks and fry till softened, around 5 minutes. Make up the stock according to the instructions and have it ready to hand. Add the flour and stir to coat all the leeks and onions. Pour in the stock whilst stirring to combine it with the flour. It should start to form a thick sauce. Simmer for 10 minutes before popping the pork back in, then keep it at a simmer with the lid on for 40 minutes.


Avgolemono Sauce :

  Prepare the sauce when the stew is almost ready, it works best if you remove the stew from the heat for a few minutes.
  Whisk the eggs in a bowl with the lemon juice and add a ladle full of the stew liquid. Whisk together then add to the pot and stir to combine, you should then have a thick glossy sauce.

Serve with crusty bread and dive in for a real festive treat.


Melomakarona Cookies :

  These are lovely sweet and spicy cookies coated in an sweet syrup and nuts. There are different variations but this is my recipe for them. Melomakarona Cookies are best eaten with a nice hot drink, maybe some mulled wine! These cookies are made with olive and vegetable oil and reminded me a bit of a sweeter shortbread. They taste between a cookie and a cake.