Welcome to our blog. We are The Merrychefs (Scot and Carola) and we like to cook new food, classic food and experiment a little whilst having a glass or 2 of wine of course. Take a look round our blog and I hope you enjoy. :)
Here is something very simple and very moreish. Make sure to use good quality prawns and serve with some very fresh crispy bread to soak up the the garlic and chilli oil. Preferably use fresh uncooked prawns in shells, they were out of stock at my supermarket so I had to get them ready cooked.
Serves 2 as starter
Equipment
Frying pan
Chopping board
Sharp knife
Ingredients
8 Large fresh prawns
Prawns and Parsley
6 tbsp of olive oil
5 Garlic cloves diced
8 birds eye chillies finely sliced
Garlic and birds eye chillies
A handful of fresh chopped parsley chopped
Salt and pepper
Method
Heat a frying pan to medium/hot heat.
Add the oil
Add the garlic and chilli and fry for 1 min
Add the prawns and fry for 2 mins
Turn over the prawns
Add salt, pepper and half the parsley
Let fry for 2 mins
Stir and serve up
Squeeze some lemon juice over and add rest of parsley
Greece also known as Hellas and officially the Hellenic Republic is a developed country in southeastern Europe, situated on the southern end of the Balkan Peninsula. The country has land borders with Albania, the Republic of Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to the east. The Aegean Sea lies to the east of mainland Greece, the Ionian Sea to the west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the south. Greece has thetenth longest coastline in the world at 14,880 km (9,246 mi) in length, featuring a vast number of islands(approximately 1400, of which 227 are inhabited), including Crete, the Dodecanese, the Cyclades, and the Ionian Islands among others. Eighty percent of Greece consists of mountains, of which Mount Olympus is the highest at 2,917 m (9,570 ft).
Modern Greece traces its roots to the civilization of ancient Greece, generally considered the cradle ofWestern civilization. As such, it is the birthplace of democracy, Western philosophy, the Olympic Games, Western literature and historiography, political science, major scientific and mathematical principles, and Western drama, including both tragedy and comedy. This legacy is partly reflected in the 17 UNESCO World Heritage Sites located in Greece. The modern Greek state was established in 1830, following a victorious uprising against Ottoman rule.
FOOD
Greek cuisine is a typical Mediterranean cuisine, sharing characteristics with the cuisines of Italy, the Balkans, Turkey, and the Levant. Contemporary Greek cookery makes wide use of olive oil, vegetables and herbs, grains and bread, wine, fish, and various meats, including poultry, rabbit andpork. Also important are olives, cheese, aubergine, courgette, and yoghurt. Greek desserts are characterized by the dominant use of nuts and honey. Some dishes use filo pastry.
Meze is a collective name for a variety of small dishes, typically served with wines or anise-flavored liqueurs as ouzo or homemade tsipouro. Orektika is the formal name for appetizers and is often used as a reference to eating a first course of a cuisine other than Greek cuisine. Dips are served with bread loaf or pita bread. In some regions, dried bread (paximadhi) is softened in water.
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Hummus 1 can chickpeas or 2/3 of a jar of El Navarrico Chickpeas (Garbanzos) 2 garlic cloves Juice of one lemon 3 tbs tahini 2 tbs olive oil 1 tsp cumin seeds salt & pepper
Methodology:- Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth Add to serving dish and drizzle with olive oil, fresh parsley and some salt
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Moussaka 500g minced beef or lamb 3 tbsp of Olive oil 1 tin chopped tomatoes 2 gloves garlic diced 1 aubergine 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 2 tsp of dried oregano 1 large onion diced 1/2 glass of red wine Bread crumbs grated cheddar salt and pepper Bechamel sauce 40 grams butter 60g flour 200ml milk 18 grams parmasan or grated cheese 1 egg yolk
Methodolody:- Heat oven to 200° Slice Aubergine and add to salted water for 30 mins Heat pan and add olive oil, onion and fry for a few mins Add the garlic and fry for a few seconds Add the mince to pan and fry for 5 mins stiring occassionally Add the chopped tomatoes, cinnamon, oregano, red wine and salt and pepper Continue to cook for a further 10 mins stiring occassionally Remove Aubergine from water and squash out any excess water Heat a frying or griddle pand and add oil. Fry the aubergine in batches untill browned both sides and set them aside on kitchen paper Get a baking dish and add half the aubergine level in bottom of dish Then add half the mince mix level on top of aubergine Then add the other half of aubergine leveled onto and then the rest of mince mixture Make the bechamel sauce as follows Heat a pand and add the butter and let melt Remove from heat and stir in flour until very thick Add milk and cheese and put back on heat and stir until thick sauce Stir in the egg yolk and pour sauce over the mince mixture Cover thinly with bread crumbs and sprinkle with a little extra cheese Bake in oven for 30 mins.
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Jumbo Prawns in Garlic & Orange juice
4 tbs of olive oil
4 garlic cloves diced
4 Jumbo Prawns
2 shots of Brandy
1/4 cup of fresh orange juice
Salt and ground black pepper
some chopped fresh parsley
Methodology:-
Heat oil in a pan and add the garlic then add the Prawns and sauté for a couple of mins each side
Then add brandy to deglaze the pan and add the orange juice cook for a few mins
Remove the prawns and set aside in serving dish
Add salt, pepper, parsley and splash of water to pan and bring to the boil.
Boil for about 5-8 mins until liquid has reduced to a small amount of sauce.
Pour sauce over the prawns and garnish with some more parsley.
D 
