Orexi!

Published in The Herts Advertiser April 2019

Harpenden celebrity chef Theo Michaels has written a wonderful book inspired by the flavours of Greece and Cyprus – perfect timing for any of us craving a trip to a warmer country!

Beautiful food sings from the pages of Orexi! (which means ‘good appetite’), with chapters called Meze, Sea, Land, Sun, Fire and Sundowners, which capture the Greek way of life. I like that many of the recipes are simple – in a departure for this column I’ve included a recipe as I think that will give you a real taste of the book.

Theo works locally and in London as a private chef after he changed career after MasterChef in 2014. He also appears regularly on This Morning, writes a weekly food column for Best magazine, and has presented at our own Food & Drink Festival. He is known for cooking ‘elegant village food’ inspired by the flavours of Greece and Cyprus for pop-up suppers too.

The Meze chapter features small sharing plates such as dips, cheeses and meatballs. Sea shows how you can get lots of flavour into simply cooked fish. Meat is a huge part of the Greek diet, with cooking over charcoal part of daily life so if you need ideas to make your barbecues more interesting, this is a useful chapter. Salads and vegetables reflect the warm climate, with peppers, herbs and tomatoes. Horta was new to me, which is steamed green vegetables with plenty of lemon juice, and would go with meat or fish or part of a shared meze lunch. There are also lamb recipes if you want something interesting for Easter, or a pork dish which is more traditional in Greece and Cyprus.

A lovely taste of summer!

RED PEPPER & FETA SALSA

peperia kai feta salsa

A classic Greek dip of roasted sweet peppers complementing the tangy feta. I add a fresh tomato to give it a sweet sharpness that I feel brings it all alive, but if you want something a little more sultry, you can use a sun-dried one. Like many dips, this also works really well as a marinade. I’ll also admit to adding some store-bought chilli sauce to it and pasting it over fish to roast in the oven.

2 red (bell) peppers, halved, pith and seeds removed

4 garlic cloves, unpeeled

4 sprigs of fresh thyme

4 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

a few drops of freshly squeezed lemon juice

a small pinch of cayenne pepper

1 ripe vine tomato (or 2 baby plum tomatoes)

100 g feta cheese, crumbled

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

salt and freshly ground black pepper

SERVES 6

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) Gas 6. Place the pepper halves onto a baking sheet with a garlic clove and sprig of thyme under each one.

Drizzle with olive oil, season with a little salt and pepper and roast in the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes, until they start to char.

Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins and drop them into the cup of a blender, followed by the roasted peppers, half the olive oil, the lemon juice, cayenne pepper and tomato. Blend to a pulp. Pour out the mixture, add the crumbled feta, the remaining olive oil and the chopped parsley, and fold through.I

Orexi! Photographer Mowie Kay, Publisher Ryland Peters & Small, Price £16.99.