Grecian urge: real Greek cooking

• Authentic, richly flavoursome taramasalata – unrelated to the industrial, lurid pink, mass-produced variety – is hugely popular. Originally, it was made using avgotaraho – preserved grey mullet roe (also much prized by Italians, who call it bottarga) – but a less expensive and more widely available alternative is smoked cod’s roe
• Fava is the genuine Greek answer to hummus, ideally made with yellow split peas from the volcanic island of Santorini. The next best thing, according to Kyriakou’s mother, is the yellow dal sold in Indian speciality shops. This partners well with kalamata olives, dolmades and top quality feta
• Aubergine purée made with char-grilled aubergines is delectable, too, especially in the summer months, when the ingredients are at their ripest and most flavoursome. Kyriakou recommends serving rich filo cheese pastries stuffed with a mix of feta, Kaseri (or mature Cheddar) and Graviera (or mature Gruyere) alongside.

Fagakia are more substantial starters or side orders to a main dish in traditional Greek meals (or they make a lighter meal in themselves). Favourites include Greek pasta (shaped a little like elongated macaroni) in a citrusy dressing with grated bottarga, and a bean stew made with sweetish gigandes beans from Macedonia or Epirus, cooked with fresh plum tomatoes, thyme and parsley and served, Greek-style, at room temperature.