The Cycladic cheese dumplings
Two main local Greek ingredients that are used to make this dish are the Graviera Naxou and the Kefalotyri cheeses. But what kind of cheeses are these? And what about them? We will soon find out... Two well known local cheeses Lets first talk about Graviera Naxou, a sweet buttery flavoured cheese and one of the most beloved table cheese of the Greeks. A little bit more about the history... Graviera Naxou means Graviera of Naxos. In Greek the word Graviera is a transliteration of the Swiss Gruyère. Recently added in the rich tapestry of Greek cheeses, Graviera was made for the first time in the 20th century in the region of the Peloponnese. However, The Cyclades ( Naxos, Tinos and Paros) hold the distinction of being the only place in Greece where Graviera cheese is produced exclusively with cow's milk. Graviera Naxou, sweet cheese with a full and rich flavour, strong buttery and milky aroma and a faint aroma of almonds and nuts has been awarded.
Secondly, we have the Kefalotyri cheese. Kefalotyri is a traditional Greek-Cypriot cheese made from sheep milk and goat's milk. It is a very hard, light-yellow cheese with a sharp flavour and dry texture. Dating back to the Byzantine era, the cheese is believed to be the ancestor of most hard Greek cheeses. Young cheeses are aged for a minimum of two to three months whereas aged Kefalotyri can be a year old or more with a dry, stronger flavour.
Finally, after two paragraphs of history and enlightenment about local cheeses we can start with the recipe!
The recipe
• 300gr Graviera Naxou • 200gr Kefalotyri • 3 egg whites • 1 tablespoon baking powder • 1 tablespoon cornflour • 8-10 fresh mint leaves, chopped How to make these dumplings: 1. Grate the cheese, add the finely chopped mint, beaten egg whites, cornflour, baking powder and mix it all well. 2. Let the cheese mix rest in the fridge for one hour and then shape into balls. 3. Deep fry in hot olive oil until they golden. Now you have to know that these dumplings come with a tomato an lemon jam. Here's how, starting with the ingredients... Tomato jam: • 500gr tomatoes • 200 gr sugar • 1 lemon for its juice and half its peel. • 1 leaf of arbaroriza ( plant from Greece) Lemon jam: • 1kg lemon spoon sweet • 2 fresh lemons, for their juice How to make the tomato jam: 1. Peel, deseed and cut tomatoes in cubes. 2. Add all the ingredients in the pots, tomatoes, sugar, lemon juice, lemon peel and arbaroriza. 3. Cook in medium heat for 30 minutes. How to make the lemon jam: 1. Place the lemon spoon sweet in a blender, add some lemon juice and blend. 2. Check for acidity and add some more, as required. Serve the cheese dumplings on top of the two jams on a small plate. Now taste this authentic Greek Dish...
Once again, what makes Aegean cuisine so special is the simplicity of ingredients, simple but apt flavour combinations expertly presented. In other words, it's impossible to think of decadent melty cheese croquettes without fragrant herbs and good olive oil to fry them in.
