Hospitality and shopping

Pastry  750 g pastry flour 2 tbsp olive oil 300 g lukewarm water Juice of half a lemon 1 tsp salt
Filling  500 g goat’s cheese 1 kg spinach 1 lettuce 1 bunch kafkalithres (or other wild greens) 2 shallots Half a bunch of dill 150 g olive oil

Mix the flour with water, salt, oil and lemon juice, kneading until you have a soft, pliable dough.

Cover with a clean towel and leave for about half an hour.

Divide the dough into 3 pieces and roll out into thin sheets about 70 cm x 70 cm. Cut each sheet cross-wise to make four equal squares.

Mix the greens with the cheese and the olive oil. Place 1/12^th of the mixture on each of the 12 squares and fold to enclose the mixture. The dough should be thin enough so that the filling is visible. To avoid breaking up the pies when it comes to frying them, place each square on a plate before adding the filling, then turn the plate over to flip the pie into the pan.

The saitia must be cooked immediately, ideally on a very hot metal plate to make the dough crisp and the filling soft. Otherwise use an oiled non-stick frying pan over a moderate heat, frying the saitia for 4-6 minutes on each side until golden.

Recipe by: Traditional Taverna ‘’ To Patriko’’, Aghios Ioannis

In the shallows of the Gerakas lagoon, local fishermen still use an ancient method of collecting the tiny endemic shrimp, simply by dipping branches of shrubs such as the mastic bush or kermes oak into the water, and waiting for the shrimp to attach themselves to the branches.

These delicacies are the basis for one of the regionʼs specialities, served at the waterfront tavernas in the port of Gerakas.

ingredients:

500 gr. shelled shrimp
1 bunch finely chopped dill
5-6 finely sliced shallots
salt, pepper
a little flour

instructions:

Put the shrimps in a bowl and add 3 cups of water, the dill and shallots and enough flour to make a runny paste.Place spoonfuls of the mixture into very hot oil and fry until golden.