Corfu's Unique Recipes

The Italian-influenced cuisine of Corfu is unlike anything in Greece.

Porpetes

Meatballs with red sauce are made allover Greece. However, Corfiot meatballs have their own unique, rich flavour from a generous mixture of spices. One version calls for minced meat combined with anchovies, pancetta, cheese and nutmeg. The same ingredients are sometimes used in the accompanying tomato sauce.

Pastitsada

Τhe most emblematic dish of Corfu, reflects the whole flavouring philosophy on the island. It is a rich and aromatic dish with a kick, filling and festive. Made with rooster or beef cooked in garlic, onion, red wine, and tomatoes and served over handmade pasta, Pastitsada is closely associated with the spices, or Spetseriko, that flavor it: cinnamon, spice, cumin, laurel, nutmeg and clove.

Sofrito

In close competition with Pastitsada, Sofrito is one of the most famous specialities in Corfu. The chances are that most people, even those who have never set foot on the island, are familiar with it. To create this traditional dish, thin slices of veal are put in flour, then pan-fried and finally cooked in a white sauce of chopped garlic, parsley, white wine, vinegar and white pepper. It pairs with crisp-fried potatoes or potato purée.

Bourdeto

This recipe is of Venetian origin, a fisherman’s dish of shellfish, skate, perch, octopus, or whatever else is in the nets. Ιt was made by local fishermen who didn’t have the luxury of a long list of ingredients. It is cooked with onions sauteed in olive oil, drizzled with lemon juice and seasoned with healthy amounts of paprika (as much as one can stand) from which it takes its colour.

Savoro

Meaning ‘delicious’, Savoro is also a cooking technique used to preserve inexpensive fish for sailors on long voyages. The fish is fried in olive oil and cured in a sauce containing rosemary, vinegar, laurel, raisins and plenty of garlic. 

TEXT : ELENI PSYHOULI
PHOTOS : GEORGE DRAKOPOULOS
FOOD STYLING : MAKIS GEORGIADES
STYLING : HELENA JEFFREY