FESTIVE SEASON 2013-2014: Marinated traditional wild pig "Salmi" served with an aromatic garlicky sauce

Such a tasty way to finish 2013 and hoping for even more delicious recipes in the New Year... Inspired by traditional recipes this is really delicious and fans of game meat will be thrilled with its flavour and tenderness! The marinade ingredients work perfectly keeping the meat juicy and tender but also helping to break down a bit the distinctive, strong taste and smell game meat in general tends to have. It needs its time this recipe and a slow cooking but in the end you will be rewarded with a delicious dish! Silky mashed potatoes or, for a more rustic approach, thick macaroni pasta are two great choices to serve this meat with

All the Best from Our Family to All of You

and Your Beloved Ones 

For A Great New Year,

Full of Health and Happiness!!

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FESTIVE SEASON 2013-2014: Baked rabbit cooked in sweet red wine and mild spices sauce

Rabbit is one of our family's favourite meats and thankfully it is so versatile that we had the chance to try quite a few recipes through the years. It is, also, popular in Greece and in many areas around the country it is the first choice when it comes to Holiday season cooking. The most common dish probably is the luscious "Rabbit stifado" (made with hare too) but so many other recipes exist  in various regions of the country. You can never really fail with rabbit as its meat is always so tasty and tender and, at the same time, so light. Today's recipe has a delicious subtle sweet and sour taste cooked in a richly flavoured sauce thanks to the sweet wine and the full aromas of mild spices, orange and rosemary and they are accompanied by mellow oven baked potatoes

Potted marinated rabbit "salmi"

Hmmm, this is an absolutely delicious recipe to cook with rabbit! It is a traditional recipe cooked in various areas of the Peloponnese peninsula of Southern Greece. Very often the recipe was cooked using a hare in the old days but rabbit does the work just fine! A variation of this recipe is to slowly cook the rabbit for 2 hours in the oven along with baby potatoes and bay leaves. If, though, you are not big fans of that kind of meat you can try out the recipe (I strongly recommend it because it is delicious) with chicken or cockerel

Braised rabbit with cabbage

A very different way from the classic recipes to cook the rabbit and enjoy it in the Winter months. The subtle taste and tenderness of the rabbit along with the cabbage create a really interesting combination giving you the pleasure of a hearty and filling meal

Marinated baked wild pig in wine sauce with root vegetables

Hearty and delicious Winter dish to enjoy with the family and guests. In Greece local or imported wild pig ("Agrio-gourouno" in Greek) is sold throughout Winter, particularly during the holiday season at many butcher shops. Unfortunately nowadays not many local breeds are left as most livestock breeders prefer the more profitable foreign breeds or those cross-bred with local breeds. A rare exception is an area in Trikala (Central Greece) where thoroughbred Greek wild pigs are still around which they feed on acorns and other fruits of the forest, which gives their meat its delicious flavour

Baked stuffed rabbit "Patoudo"

A delicious traditional recipe from Paros island in Aegean Sea. If you are lucky enough to find a hare you can use it instead of rabbit. It is a great and rich Winter time recipe with great aromas and flavours thanks to the raisins, the apples and the spices

Wild pig in wine sauce with honey and orange

A classic Winter-time dish, delicious and very hearty! The marinade is necessary because the meat will remain moist and tender with an exceptional flavour. Slowly cooked for plenty of time it will reward your patience with a great result. Don't forget to keep an eye on it so there is enough liquid all the way through

Braised rabbit with potatoes in white sauce

It is a delicious dish and something different in taste and aroma than the common recipes with rabbit. You can also use wild rabbit or hare. Chicken is a good substitute but then the final taste will not be the same

Baked rabbit with bacon in lemon sauce

Easy, very tasty and fine flavours in this dish with rabbit. You can substitute with chicken if you want but I believe that rabbit is the best match

Marinated deer ragoût with quinces mash

A delicious alternative for those who are not such big fans of roast turkey. An interesting dish which can be served anytime during the festive season but not only then, it can be a great Sunday meal!

Baked rabbit with balsamic vinegar sauce and prunes

This is another delicious recipe for rabbit meat which can be served anytime but it is a great idea for your Christmas dinner if you want something different than the classic roast turkey. The balsamic vinegar gives a special flavour to the whole dish

Rabbit with rosemary and garlic in the oven

A delicious and simple traditional recipe which often can be found in areas of Northern Greece. Rabbit is such a tasty and low in calories meat and so versatile regarding the method of cooking and the herbs you can use with it

Rabbit (or hare) with red garlic dip

This is a traditional recipe and the specific version is coming from Sparta (yes, the famous one with the king Leonidas and his 300 brave soldiers...). The recipe, originally, demands for hare but when I first cooked it I could not find any so the rabbit was an excellent substitue. Rabbit, wild rabbit or hare cooked in this way is a recipe you can also find in other regions of Greece but here the difference is the way the garlic dip is prepared. If you decide to try this recipe (it would be a pitty if not!) you have to follow all the steps thoroughly and especially those regarding the garlic dip. I knew about this dish for years and years but never had the chance to find the recipe until I came across through a great Greek food blog called "Pandespani" (more direct links to it bellow the photo). I hope you'll enjoy this recipe as much as we did!!

Marinated rabbit with rosemary

Rabbit is another kind of meat which we cook in many different ways. Perhaps the "rabbit stifado (stew)" is the most common recipe but believe me rabbit (as well as hare and wild rabbit) can be cooked so easily and they are quite popular. Today we have a traditional and very easy recipe of fried rabbit coming from Crete and it can be served with french fries or mashed potatoes or a nice rice pilaf or even plain with a nice green salad