Now I wend a long way east, taking inspiration from a very interesting recipe in Serious Eats.

“There’s a lot going on in the marinade, but one of the standouts—arguably even the key ingredient—is anchovy-based Vietnamese fish sauce, or nuoc mam,” write Emily and Matt Clifton. “Lime, ginger, and fish sauce add bold, bright, deep flavor to chicken,” they point out.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t find the particular fish sauce they mention, so I used the standard Thai fish sauce (nam pla) available at the Asian food stores in Greece. Limes are, again, an imported fruit that we can only get on Kea in the summer, when bars and the more sophisticated restaurants use it. I only had the local fragrant lemons, which, I must admit, are quite different in flavor; I decided to combine lemon and orange in my recipe.

I didn’t discard the very flavorful Vietnamese-inspired marinade but used it as the sauce to bake both the chicken as well as the accompanying vegetables, potatoes, some of our last garden peppers, and squash, drizzling with olive oil, as I usually do.

I think you will like this deep-flavored, easy chickenand vegetable dish as much as Costas and I did…

Serves 4 

About 2 1/2 pounds (1 kilo 250 grams) chicken, spatchcocked

The MARINADE

1/4 cup (60ml) soy sauce

1/4 cup (60ml) Asian fish sauce

1/4 (60ml) sunflower oil

2 packed tablespoons (7g) fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, finely chopped (optional)

¼ cup (60ml) fresh lemon juice

¼ cup (60ml) fresh orange juice

1 teaspoon (5g) finely grated zest from 1 orange

3 tablespoon (30g) minced peeled fresh ginger

2 tablespoons smoked hot pepper, or Aleppo pepper flakes

4 medium cloves garlic, minced or grated (about 4 teaspoons)

The VEGETABLES etc. 

3 medium baking potatoes peeled and cut into about 1 ½-inch pieces

1 pound peeled and seeded butternut squash cut into about 1 ½ -inch pieces

1 large red bell pepper seeded and thinly sliced

2 small, sliced oranges, plus 1 orange peeled, quartered and sliced

About 1/3 cup olive oil

Cilantro leaves, for garnish (optional)

Lay the chicken on a parchment-lined plate or pan, or place in a large zipper-lock bag, if you plan to refrigerate it with the marinade.

In a medium bowl, whisk together soy sauce, fish sauce, oil, cilantro, if using, lemon and orange juice and zest, ginger, smoked or hot pepper, and garlic. Pour half the marinade over the chicken, and massage to make sure it coats well the entire front and back. Cover with kitchen film, or seal the bag and let the chicken marinate for at least 45 minutes, and up to 4 hours.

Preheat oven to 375°F (200°C) and set the oven rack in the middle position.

Line a rimmed baking dish with parchment paper and spread the potatoes, squash, and pepper pieces pouring the rest of the marinade over, and tossing well to make sure all vegetables are coated. Add the quartered orange slices and toss again.

Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the bag, and arrange over the vegetables, skin-side up, pouring any marinade drippings over, arrange the orange slices over the breast and thighs and drizzle with olive oil.

Bake for about 45 min. then cover loosely with parchment paper and bake another 20 minutes or more, until done –the center of the thickest part of the thighs should register 155 to 160°F (68 to 71°C) on an instant-read thermometer.

If the chicken skin is not brown enough by the time the thighs are cooked through, set broiler to high and broil for 1 minute or until browned and crisp, but be very careful, because the skin can burn fast.  

Let rest for 5 minutes before serving, transfering chicken and vegetables to a platter, if you like, and garnished with orange slices and cilantro.

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I baked it in a very old copper casserole, over several layers of parchment paper, as the traditional inside lining of the is somewhat worn, and there are very few itinerant craftsmen to renew it.

This dish is particularly good on islands like Naxos, or here on Kea, where the local potatoes have exceptional flavor. If you want to cook this dish using small potatoes there is no need to peel them, but I suggest that you halve them, because they taste best when they can absorb the flavorful juices.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

3 pounds chicken thighs and drumsticks, preferably with the bones and skin

2 pounds baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes

2/3 cup olive oil

4-6 garlic cloves, minced (to taste)

1 1/2 tablespoons dried oregano, thyme or savory, crumbled

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Freshly ground black pepper, or Aleppo pepper flakes to taste

½ thick-skinned or Mayer lemon thinly sliced (optional)

1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock, or white wine

1/3 -1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (to taste)

2–3 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano, thyme or savory and some sprigs

Preheat the oven to 375°F (200 C)

Place the potatoes and chicken in a single layer in a round baking dish, about 12-inch (30 cm), and pour the oil over them. Add the garlic, dried oregano, salt, cumin, mustard, and pepper to taste, and toss well to coat all-over with the oil and flavorings.

Alternatively, you can work all the above ingredients in the blender and make a paste, then toss the chicken and potatoes to coat all over.

Bake for about 40 minutes. Add the stock, toss well, and bake for 15 minutes more. Drizzle the lemon juice, toss again top with the lemon slices, if using, and bake for about 20 minutes more, or until the chicken and potatoes are cooked through.

If you like, preheat the broiler, and broil the food for 2 to 3 minutes until golden brown. Sprinkle with fresh oregano and serve at once.

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The tart sour cherries are traditionally cooked with meatballs in Iran, Syria, and Turkey, and since I love the combination of fruit with all kinds of meat, I thought chicken would be great with cherries. Boned and skinned chicken thighs cook fast, so the cherries don’t lose their bright color when the dish is done.

Last but not least, I balance the cherries’ tartness with plenty of sliced Kea onions which are wonderfully sweet.  

I marinate the chicken with soy sauce and wine, as I do when I make a stir-fry, and this adds an extra layer of flavor.   

Serve with just fresh crusty bread, or with toasted pita triangles, like Anissa Helou’s Kabab Karaz. Great with a simple bulgur pilaf, as well as with mashed or roasted potatoes. In the winter it is ideally complemented with David Tanis’ Baked Polenta.   

Serves 4-5

MARINADE:

¼ cup soy sauce, preferably Japanese

¼ cup white wine

3 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced

About 2 Tablespoons fresh thyme

1 ½ pounds (750 grams) boned and skinned chicken thigs

About 1/3 cup olive oil

2-3 medium sweet onions (about 1 pound, 500 grams) halved and cut to about 1/8-inch slices

1 ½ pounds  (750 grams) pitted sour cherries, fresh or frozen

Freshly ground pepper and salt, to taste

1-2 teaspoons honey or maple syrup, optional

Fresh thyme to sprinkle 

In a medium bowl mix the marinade ingredients, add the chicken, toss, cover and set aside for about 20 minutes, while you start sautéing the onions. Or you can transfer to a Ziploc bag and refrigerate for up to 3 hours.

In a heavy skillet or sauté pan warm the olive oil and add the onions. As they start to sizzle, toss, lower the heat and let the onions cook for about 8 minutes, to soften.

Increase the heat and add the chicken along with its marinade to the onions in the pan. Cook tossing often for about 10 minutes, or until the pieces are no longer pink.

Add the sour cherries, toss, and cook in high heat for another 10-15 minutes until the chicken is cooked.

Taste, and add some honey or maple syrup if you find the sauce tart –I don’t. Add freshly ground pepper and salt, if needed, sprinkle with fresh thyme and serve.

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Since the water jar has a small opening, small pieces of meat and vegetables were inserted in the jar, which was then sealed with dough and slow-roasted in the wood-fired oven.

On the other hand, ‘Arni Kleftiko’ (Guerillas’ Lamb) is a variation of the previous recipe. It was a simpler dish the guerillas prepared and baked in holes in the ground, where just a few charcoals warmed the stones keeping a slow, smokeless fire that didn’t betray their position, as they roasted pieces of lamb or goat wrapped in leaves and goat or lamb skin. ‘Kleftiko’ included small pieces of aged, spicy cheese, and is flavored with lemon and herbs. Unfortunately the Kleftiko most taverns make today, has lots of mostly melted cheese and it is far from the original recipe, I feel. 

The version of ‘Arni Stamnas’ I puiblished in my first book was given to me by Electra Kalamboka from Kavalla in northern Greece, and it is obviously a more contemporary recipe with tomatoes, which came to be a common ingredient in Greek cooking around the end of the 19^th cen. after Greece became an independent country.  

Somehow merging the two previous recipes, to cook chicken wrapped in parchment paper. Placing the wrapped food in a clay pot enhances the flavors, as it slows the roasting even further.

Serve with bulgur pilaf, or with plain olive-oil-and- pepper spaghetti or orzo, dousing the pasta with the delicious Kleftiko juices.

Serves 4-5

About 650 grams boned and skinned Chicken Thighs

3 medium carrots, sliced lengthwise and cut into 3-4 inch pieces

1 medium purple onion, halved and sliced

3 small eggplants –about 800 grams

5 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced

1 lemon, halved to remove the pips then thinly sliced, PLUS more lemon juice as needed

3 bell peppers (red, green and yellow) seeded and cut into strips

150 grams hard, aged goat’s or sheep’s milk cheese cut  into small pieces (I used some leftover  Manoura of Sifnos (the cheese that ages in wine dregs) BUT any hard, spicy & salty goat’s or sheep’s milk cheese is fine –try the very hard aged mizithra, or aged, hard Pecorino. 

About 1/3 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, preferably the one with the seeds

Ground coriander seeds, cumin, salt and lots of Aleppo pepper)

A few branches of thyme and/or oregano, and dried Greek oregano to sprinkle at the end

Preheat the oven to 175 C (350 F).

Place all ingredients in a large bowl and toss well, then cut two large pieces of parchment paper placing them one on top of the other in the pan –clay or Dutch oven that you plan to roast the food in.

Close the paper to cover the food and place the cover on top of the pan.

Bake for about 3 hours, opening after 2 hours to check and maybe taste the juices, correcting the seasoning with more salt, pepper, or olive oil.

When everything is almost fully cooked, open the parchment paper and continue roasting to get some color and caramelize the top of the vegetables.

Sprinkle with oregano and serve.

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The sweet beet greens are especially delicious flavored with the tart, avgolemono sauce.

Serves 6

6  whole chicken legs, separated, or a whole cut-up chicken –preferably free range

Salt and coarsely ground black pepper

1 teaspoon fennel seeds, preferably freshly ground or crushed in a mortar

2  tablespoons ground coriander seeds

1  large onion, coarsely chopped

About 2 cups Chicken Stock or more, as needed

2 1/2  pounds beet greens with stems; separate the stems and cut into 2-3 inch pieces (see NOTE)

1-2  fresh oregano or thyme sprigs (optional) 

AVGOLEMONO SAUCE

About 1 1/2 cups cooking broth from the chicken and beet greens 

2/3 cup white wine

2 large eggs

4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, or more, to taste

1  tablespoon cornstarch

Freshly ground black pepper and Aleppo pepper, to taste 

Chopped fennel fronds or dill 

Prepare the chicken: Season the meat on both sides generously with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with fennel seeds and coriander all over the chicken pieces.

In the deep skillet heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and sauté the chicken pieces on both sides until nicely browned. With a slotted spoon remove the chicken pieces to a platter and keep warm.

Add the onion to the skillet and briefly fry, then pour over the wine and broth and scrape up any caramelized bits at the bottom of the pan.

Arrange the chicken pieces in the pan  and bring to a boil. Half-cover the skillet, turn the heat to medium and cook for about 35 minutes, until the chicken is almost cooked, adding more broth or water, as needed. It should be quite brothy. 

Add the beet stems to the chicken and cook for about 8 minutes, or until tender, then add the beet leaves, toss, and cook for another 4-5 minutes until done to your taste. 

Make the Avgolemono Sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, 3 tablespoons of the lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of the wine. In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch with the remaining wine, then whisk into the egg mixture.

Whisking constantly, slowly pour about 1  1/2 cups of the hot cooking broth, 1/2 cup at a time, into the egg mixture. 

Pour the egg mixture into the saucepan and simmer, stirring very gently, until the sauce thickens.

Taste and adjust the seasonings, adding pepper and more lemon juice if you like.

Serve hot, sprinkling with dill.

NOTE: 

Instead of beet greens and stems you can use chard, large, not baby, spinach, or a combination of various greens, as in Yahnera.

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It is the traditional one-pot Christmas dish on Rhodes and other Dodecanese islands. Christmas in the Greek islands is not the big feast celebrated in the United States or northern Europe: Easter and the Virgin Mary’s Assumption (August 15) are the important island festivals.

The addition of ginger and a piece of lemon peel is my twist on the basic recipe I got from my mother. I think their flavor and aroma deepens the broth’s taste. I prefer making the soup lighter, with vermicelli instead of rice, or even plain — just the broth and pieces of chicken. In that case you may want to add one more egg if you want to make it thicker, creamier.

Sometimes instead of chicken meat,  meatballs such as the Scallion Meatballs,  are cooked in a chicken or meat avgolemono  soup.  

Until the late 1960s, chicken was considered a great delicacy on the islands. It was the most expensive of all meats and, except for important feasts, it was usually reserved for children and the sick as the lighter of all meats.  The free-range chickens or capons of Greece need a long time to cook, and even then, their flesh can sometimes be tough and stringy. But they make the most delicious soup or youvetsi.

Instead of chicken you can make the soup with de-fatted broth from beef bones or make an exquisite fish soup (psarosoupa) boiling down fish heads, bones, and small fish. I try to always have various homemade stocks in my freezer so that I can make not just soups, but flavor risotto and all kinds of sauces.  

 Makes 6 to 8 servings as a first course, about 4 to 5 as a main course 

1            3-to-4-pound free-range chicken, quartered, plus 3 pounds chicken backs, necks and/or wings  OR instead of entire chicken, use 5-6 skin-on chicken legs        

1            large onion, halved        

2            medium carrots, peeled and quartered 

2            bay leaves         

2            tablespoons salt             

10–12   whole peppercorns

2           tablespoons allspice berries bruised in a mortar

1          3-inch piece ginger unpeeled, cut into 4-6 pieces lengthwise (optional) 

1          3-inch lemon peel (optional)         

2            tablespoons olive oil     

5            scallions (white and most of the green parts), thinly sliced

A few stems from dill or fennel (optional) 

1-2         Thyme or Savory sprigs                

1            cup chopped fresh dill   

2/3        cup medium-grain rice, such as Arborio or about 100 grams vermicelli pasta

2            large eggs          

4–6        tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice                         

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place the chicken and chicken parts in a large pot and add water to cover. Bring to a boil, skim off the foam and reduce the heat to low. Add the onion, carrots, bay leaves, salt and peppercorns. Cover and simmer for 2 hours, adding a little more water as needed, until the chicken starts to fall from the bones.

Transfer the chicken quarters to a large plate. Remove the meat and cut half of it into bite-sized pieces; cover and refrigerate. Refrigerate the remaining chicken for another use.

Strain the stock, discarding the solids, and refrigerate it for a few hours, or until the fat congeals on top. Remove and discard most of the fat.

In a large pot, heat the oil and sauté the scallions over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, or until soft. Add 1/2 cup of the dill and sauté for 1 minute more. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Add the rice or vermicelli, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the rice is tender, or about 10 minutes for the vermicelli.

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, 1/4 cup lemon juice and 2 tablespoons water. Whisking constantly, slowly pour about 3 cups of the hot stock mixture into the eggs. Slowly pour the egg mixture into the pot, whisking constantly to prevent the eggs from curdling. Add the chicken and the remaining 1/2 cup dill. Taste and adjust the seasonings with lemon juice, salt and/or pepper. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes more; do not boil. Serve hot.

VARIATION On Kea, 1 cup of grated or diced tomatoes is added to the broth along with the rice, making a delightful pink soup.

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Kean women prepare it each winter with leftover scraps of pork and fat, after the traditional slaughtering and butchering of the family pig. In the old days, the bits were heavily salted so that they wouldn’t spoil as they were stored in clay jars to be used much like Maggi cubes –a common European food flavoring– throughout the year. Costas calls paspalas ‘the Kea bacon,’ but unlike bacon it is not smoked and it is already fried when you use it to flavor eggs and other dishes.

Read about Pig Slaughtering on Kea as I had described it at the Atlantic.  

The importance of this rustic flavoring became apparent when I prepared it in the kitchen of Zaytinya—Jose Andres’ Greek and Middle Eastern restaurant, in Washington DC. During my annual January visit, a few years back, we were trying traditional winter dishes from Kea and other Cycladic islands for a pork and xinomavro wine feast, and Chef Michael Costa was immediately taken by paspalas’ intense and versatile flavor. We made several batches, using pieces of locally grown pork that the chef and his sous-chefs butchered in the kitchen. Besides the Kean scrambled eggs–also called ‘paspalas’ –we filled jars with the pork confit for future use. Bonnie Benwick, the former food editor of Washington Post got enamored with it, as well as with the eponymous scrambled eggs from Kea, and  made the dish famous in her column!

HOW TO MAKE PASPALAS: 

Scraps, bits and pieces of pork meat, leftover from the more serious butchering of the pork–preferably pieces from the breast– cut into small pieces.

It is important that the pieces have enough fat on them, or that additional pieces of fat will be added. Roughly 50-60 % fat to meat.

Salt, Black pepper, Cumin, All-spice

Plenty of fresh thyme, or winter savory if you happen to be on a Greek island (!)

Place the diced pork in a thick-bottomed sauté pan and add water just to half cover. Bring to a boil in medium heat, add salt, black pepper, a good pinch of cumin, all spice and a few sprigs of fresh thyme –stand in for our very fragrant winter savory.

Cook for about 30 minutes or more, until the meat is cooked through, and very tender. You may need to add a little more water as needed.

Increase the heat to high and cook until all water is evaporated.

At this point, I found that it is easier to transfer part of the pork and its juices to a smaller, truly non-stick sauté pan, or deep skillet and brown in batches.

As the pork fries in its fat it splatters and sticks to the bottom of any ordinary pan. If it does stick, transfer the pieces to a non-stick skillet and de-glaze the pan with some water. Add the flavorful bits to the skillet with the rest of the pork to sizzle in the fat, otherwise you will lose some of the flavor.

Fry the piece of pork (preferably in batches, so that you can have more control and less splattering) until they get a nice brown, adding more thyme and taste correcting the flavor with more salt and/or pepper, as needed.
Fill jars and make sure the meat is covered with fat on top. If when it cools you realize that there is not a layer of fat at the top, melt some lard and pour a thin film over the paspalas.

Refrigerated, the Kean pork confit can be kept for up to 2 months, but you can also freeze it, if you want to keep it longer.

See the Recipe: PASPALAS from Kea: Preserved Pork and Tomato Scrambled Eggs

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I, too, cook poultry for our friends and us, and instead of potatoes I roast pieces of quince, carrots and maybe some yams and/or mushrooms. A very satisfying baked polenta –from David Tanis’ brilliant recipe— will accompany the bird, and I will probably begin with a salad of roasted butternut squash with a tangy tahini-garlic-lemon sauce, and/or braised red and white cabbage with cranberries. 

Preparing and Roasting the Bird: I start at least two days before the feast. I get the bird well in advance, as in most cases it has to be ordered since I like to get local meats and avoid the frozen turkeys. I ask my butcher to spatchcock the turkey or rooster I plan to roast. The technique looks much easier than it actually is, especially if you deal with a big bird and you have not particularly strong hands, as is my case. I reserve the backbone to boil along with the neck and the gizzards, to make the stock that I will use for basting and for the vegetables in the pan. 

I rub the bird inside-out with plenty of sea salt and a fair amount of coarsely ground black pepper, along with dried oregano, cumin, allspice, and ground coriander seeds.  Don’t be stringy, use at least 1/2 cup of this spice mix, or of my aromatic Aegean Herb & Spice Mix. Place the bird cut-side up in a pan lined with kitchen towels, cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. The next day turn the bird upside down on the pan, usually adding more spices, and store in the refrigerator again until the day you plan to roast it. On that day you need to take it out of the fridge 3-4 hours before you put it in the oven to bring it to room temperature.

I heat the oven to around 400 F (200 C) two hours before I serve the bird –maybe a bit more, or less depending on the poultry’s size– and after brushing it well with a mixture of olive oil and fresh orange juice (2 parts olive oil-1 part juice). I place the bird on a rack which I position over the pan in which I have arranged my vegetables/fruit: quince pieces, thick carrot slices, mushrooms, whole or halved garlic cloves, and thick slices of onion if you like, after tossing them with olive oil, salt, pepper and some of the broth from the backbone, etc. I roast in the middle of the oven for about 45 min. to 1 hour, basting every now and then with the olive-oil-orange mixture, and then I arrange a few thin orange slices over the almost cooked poultry, and continue roasting for about 30 minutes more, or until done. If at some point it seems to dry out, I spritz with water a couple of times. When it is done, I cover loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a warm platter to bring to the table. I like to serve the vegetables in a separate warm platter or bowl. 

EXPERT ADVICE: In any event, after I described my crude way of roasting chicken and rooster, I think you are much better off watching how Jacques Pépin explains the correct method so beautifully!  And if you want something more amusing and unusual, check Bill Buford’s video in the New Yorker.

Baked Polenta: I use David Tanis’ brilliant recipe, leaving the grain to soak in the clay casserole with 4 cups water for about 20-30 minutes before covering and transferring to the oven –I don’t drain it. Then, after baking for 40-45 minutes, I stir in xinomyzithra –the wonderful, tangy fresh, ricotta-like cheese from Crete. But since this is not something one can get everywhere in the world, I suggest a combination of crumbled feta and ricotta and of course I add grated Parmesan, or a good, aged graviera. 

I cannot wait for the next day to enjoy any leftover polenta spread on a shallow dish, topped with leftover vegetables from the pan.  Slow-heat covered for about 45 minutes, then uncover and broil for a few minutes to caramelize the vegetables!

Roasted Butternut Squash with Garlic-lemon-mint Tahini Sauce: Peel and halve the squash, take out the seeds, and cut into bite-size pieces. In a bowl toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, cumin, ground coriander, and allspice, then spread in one layer on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Bake in the center of the oven for about 20 minutes, or until easily pierced with a knife. 

To make the sauce, mince 1-2 cloves of garlic and toss with 1 teaspoon sea salt and 1/4 cup lemon. Let marinate for at least 1 hour, better overnight in the refrigerator. When you are about to serve, whisk 1/2 cup tahini with the lemon-garlic mixture; taste and adjust the flavor and texture with more lemon juice, and water or white wine if it is too thick. 

Serve the roasted squash sprinkled with plenty of fresh, torn mint leaves, and the tahini sauce on the side. 

And to START, before we sit at the table: Besides our favorite thinly sliced Avgotaraho with my freshly baked bread,  I often whip-up a Kumquat and Smoked Cheese flat bread using part of the same dough; or I may bake one with slices of dried figs over Gorgonzola, Rockford, Stilton or any good blue cheese you like, sprinkling it with rosemary. Both we as well as our friends love these meze as we enjoy them with a glass of crisp, bubbly wine from the north of Greece, or with Tear of the Pine, the a unusual, slightly resinated, aromatic assyrtiko we love!

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Read about its origins and get the recipe for the old Pastry-enrobed version.

Makes 6-8 servings 

3           tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2     cups chopped onions

3           garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2     pounds ground veal or beef (see NOTE)

1             teaspoon Maras or Aleppo pepper, or pinch of red pepper flakes

Salt

1/2         cup sweet red wine, such as Mavrodaphne or sweet Marsala

1  1/2      cups diced tomatoes –fresh or canned

1             tablespoon tomato paste

2            cinnamon sticks

2           bay leaves

1-2       teaspoons cumin, to taste

1           teaspoon allspice

1            pound ziti or thick hollow macaroni

1            cup light cream or whole milk

1 1/2     cups grated graviera or grana Padano cheese, or more to taste

1             cup grated kefalotyri or pecorino Romano cheese, or more to taste

Yogurt and olive oil béchamel

4   tablespoons olive oil

4   tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 1/2   cups whole milk

1 1/2   cups full- fat plain yogurt

1   cup grated smoked cheddar or Metsovone cheese

1 cup grated aged cheddar or Gruyere cheese, more for sprinkling the top

Make the meat filling: In a large, deep lidded skillet, heat the oil  and sauté the onions  until soft, about8 minutes. Add the garlic and toss, then add the veal or beef in the skillet and sauté, stirring, until no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Add the wine and simmer for 30 seconds, then add the tomatoes and tomato paste, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and add the cinnamon sticks, the spices and bay leaves. Stir, cover and simmer for 10 minutes or more; the mixture should still be moist. Remove from the heat and discard the cinnamon sticks and bay leaves. Taste, adding pepper and some salt –take into account that the cheeses are quite salty.

Meanwhile, cook the ziti in salted water until just slightly undercooked (2 minutes less than directed on the package). Drain.

Transfer the ziti to a large bowl and immediately stir in the cream or milk and the meat mixture. Add the cheeses  and taste to adjust the seasonings. The mixture should be moist; if it is too dry, add a little more milk.

To make the béchamel, whisk together the olive oil and flour, over moderate heat until frothy, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat, whisk a bit longer and add the cold milk and yogurt. Cook over moderate heat, whisking constantly, and don’t worry if the mixture looks lumpy. It will become smooth as it cooks and thickens. When it starts to boil, remove from the heat and stir in the cheeses, salt and pepper.  Taste and add more cheese or salt, if you like.

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200 C).

Add half the béchamel to the pasta-meat mixture and toss to mix. Transfer to an oiled 9-by-12 inch (23X30 cm) baking dish – which is at least 2 ½-inches (6 cm) deep; top with the rest of the béchamel and sprinkle with a couple of tablespoons cheese.

Bake for about 40 minutes, or until bubbly and golden brown on top.

Let rest for at least 10 minutes before you cut to serve.

NOTE: Instead of ground meat I often use cooked, leftover meat and/or poultry, sometimes adding a spicy sausage. Dice the meat and sausage (about 2-3 cups) and add to the sautéed onions, then proceeding as described above.

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Serves 6

THE QUINCE

4           quinces, about 2 pounds

1          lemon, quartered

About 2/3 cup olive oil

1 ½    cups sweet red wine (Mavrodaphne or Marsala)

THE CHICKEN

6  whole chicken legs, separated, or a whole cut-up chicken –preferably free range

Salt and coarsely ground black pepper

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon ground allspice

1            medium onion, coarsely chopped

About 2 cups Chicken Stock or more, as needed

A few sprigs of rosemary to decorate (optional)

2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (optional)

2-3      tablespoons brown sugar (optional)

Prepare the Quince: Fill a medium bowl with water and squeeze the juice from the lemon. Quarter and core each quince, then halve each quarter lengthwise. Drop the quince pieces into the bowl of lemon water as you work.

Tie the quince cores in a cheesecloth.

In a large, deep skillet, heat about 6 tablespoons oil. Pat the quince pieces dry with paper towels and sauté, in batches, stirring for about 5 minutes, or until they start to color. Add the sweet wine and enough water to half-cover the pieces abd simmer for another 10 minutes, until the quince start to soften.

Transfer to a large bowl along with their juices and set aside.

Prepare the chicken: Season the meat on both sides generously with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with allspice and cumin and rub well all over the chicken pieces.

In the deep skillet heat the rest of the olive oil over medium-high heat and sauté the chicken pieces on both sides until nicely browned. With a slotted spoon remove the chicken pieces to a platter and keep warm.

Add the onion to the skillet and briefly fry, then pour over most of the quince broth and scrape up any caramelized bits at the bottom of the pan.

Add the quince to the skillet, along with the cheesecloth and any remaining juices. Arrange the chicken pieces in between the quince, add the cinnamon stick, and the bay leaves, then pour enough chicken broth to almost cover meat and quince, and bring to a boil. Half-cover the skillet, turn the heat to medium and cook for 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken and quince are very tender, adding more broth or water, as needed. Squeeze and discard the cheesecloth and transfer the chicken and quince in a clay pot or platter. If there is too much sauce cook on high heat to reduce, then pour over the chicken and quince, and serve decorating with rosemary sprigs or chopped parsley.

If you like, caramelize the quince: preheat the broiler, then transfer just the quince pieces to a baking tray, sprinkle with 2 to 3 teaspoons brown sugar and broil until caramelized, about 2 minutes. Return to the platter with the chicken and pour some sauce over the caramelized fruit before serving.

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