Greek Feast
Mediterranean cooking is all about the herbs
I have simplified prep for this dinner over the years by streamlining the common threads between main and sides, which can all be done together.
Ingredients
Total herbs to prep (keep in mind, these are guidelines, it’s not a science):
3 tbsp parsley, minced, separated into 3, 1-tbsp piles
3 tbsp mint, minced, separated into 3, 1-tbsp piles
2 tbsp rosemary, minced, separated into 2, 1-tbsp piles
2 tbsp oregano, minced, separated into 2, 1-tbsp piles
(I always like to use fresh herbs when I can, and fresh oregano is next level delicious and aromatic, but I’ve found that it’s harder to get your hands on than other herbs, so I usually use dried oregano. You can use a little less if you are using dried, because it is more potent.)
Meatballs:
1 lb ground lamb
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1 egg
Zest of 1/2 lemon
1 tbsp minced parsley
1 tbsp minced mint
1 tbsp minced rosemary
1 tbsp minced oregano
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp z’atar
Few shakes of dried dill
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
Cous cous:
1 cup cous cous
1 cup stock (I always have a container homemade stock in the freezer, but any will do here. Veggie/beef/chicken. This time I used lamb stock that I made from rack bones and trimmings.)
Handful golden raisins, chopped
Handful pistachios, chopped
1 tbsp minced mint
1 tbsp minced rosemary
1 tbsp minced parsley
Herby yogurt (kind of like a tzatziki):
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt (I’ve been using Fage 2% because it’s super thick and tart)
1/2 cucumber, peeled
1 tbsp minced mint
1 tbsp minced parsley
Pinch of salt
Cucumber Salad:
The other half of that cucumber from the yogurt, also peeled
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
Generous sprinkle of salt
A few shakes of dried dill
Instructions
De-stem and mince all of your herbs and separate them into piles. You can leave parsley stems on. They are thin, edible, and have tons of flavor. The other 3 stems go in the compost.
Combine all meatball ingredients except meat and breadcrumbs in a large bowl and mix up well with a fork. Set aside breadcrumbs in a small, accessible bowl. Drop in the meat and, with clean hands, mix all of it up until well combined. Dump in the breadcrumbs and mix until just combined. Set aside.
Peel the cucumber and cut it in half. With a large-hole box grater, grate half of the cucumber into a medium bowl. Toss in salt, herbs, and yogurt, and mix with a spoon until well combined. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if too tangy. Set aside.
Slice the other half of the cucumber super thin (preferably on a mandolin) into a bowl. Add in salt and stir to soften and release the water from the cucumbers. Add in vinegar and dill and set aside.
Set a cast iron or nonstick, oven-safe skillet to medium-high heat. Take your bowl of meat mixture and lightly separate it with your fork into quarters. Eyeball thirds of those quarters to form 12 even-sized meatballs. Roll up and return to the bowl. Drop some oil into the skillet and line the meatballs up. Let them sizzle for 2 minutes, then rotate them. Rotate again, browning a fresh side, after 2 more minutes. Do this once more after 2 more minutes, totaling 8 minutes cook time. Turn off the heat, but let the meatballs remain in the pan for some residual cook time.
Chop raisin and pistachios, set aside. Get a cup of stock (or at least salted water if you don’t have any stock or broth) up to boil in a pot. Drop in cous cous and herbs, mix to combine, and cover pot. Let sit for 5 minutes until steamed. Drop in raisins and nuts and fluff with a fork.
Plate all together with herby yogurt drizzled over the top or on the side for dipping. More parsley on top for presentation points. Add a side of lentils, pita, or laffa to really fill up a crowd.
