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AFELIA

Traditional Greek and Cypriot Recipes

Afelia is a traditional dish eaten in both Greece and Cyprus.

This pork dish is usually cooked in an earthenware dish (called tava) in a clay oven. The pork is marinated in red wine with crushed coriander seeds. If you don't have a tava just use an oven-proof dish and cover with foil.

Ingredients

675g pork fillet

4tps coriander seeds

45ml olive oil

2 large onions sliced

300ml red wine

salt and ground pepper

fresh coriander/parsley to garnish

Method

1) Cut pork into small chunks

2) Finely crush coriander seeds with a pestle and mortar taking care to cover the mortar to stop the seeds jumping out. You can also use a rolling pin but keep covered with a tea towel or seeds will escape.

3) Add coriander seeds and salt and pepper to pork

4) Leave to marinate in fridge for about 4 hours (or overnight)

5) Pre-heat oven to 160C (325F/Mark 3)

6) Heat some of the oil and fry meat on a high heat for a few minutes until golden and then add to tava or oven-proof dish

7) Heat remaining oil, add onions and fry until soft and transluscent in color

8) Add wine and simmer for a few minutes

9) Pour over meat and cover with lid or foil and cook for at least one hour until meat is soft

For Afelia me Pourgouri just fry a couple of onions in olive oil until golden, add 2 glasses of pourgouri and 2 glasses of water, bring to the boil and turn cooker off. Cover the mixture with a cloth and seal with the lid and leave until soft and dry.

This dish can be a little dry so be sure to add some Greek yogurt and plenty of salad. Wash it down with an ice-cold coke, glass of keo beer or a glass of wine.

Kali Orexi!
(καλή όρεξη)
Good Appetite