The Best Kefalonian Recipes to Make at Home

A few weeks ago we came back from our holiday in Kefalonia. it’s the third time we’ve been to the island and I love it more every time. I plan to share a few posts on our holiday but I thought I’d start with one on my favourite Kefalonian recipes (any excuse to think about/write about food!)

Eating in Greece

Many of us are probably familiar with Greek dishes that can now be found internationally: tzatziki; moussaka; Greek salad – these all turn up in my meal planning on a regular basis, particularly in the summer when the vegetables required are in season in the UK. But, what I love about Greece and its cuisine, is that each island and region has its own recipes and influences on the flavours and ingredients that are used most often.

Kefalonian Ingredients

Before we get to talking recipes, here are a few ingredients that are particularly important to Kefalonian cooking.

Feta

This famous Greek cheese, thought to have originated in Kefalonia, is typically made with a mixture of sheep and goat’s milk. It has a creamy yet crumbly texture, and the saltiness of the cheese pairs well with acidic vegetables, bread and tomato-based dishes.

Honey

The honey of Kefalonia is flavoured with the wild thyme seen growing all over the rugged mountain landscape – and covered with purple flowers if you go in the late spring and early summer. It makes its way into both sweet and savoury dishes and you can see the brightly coloured apiaries dotted all over the island.

Robola

Technically not a food, but the famous wine of Kefalonia, Robola is a dry white wine often with an oaky finish. Not easy to find in the UK but available from some wine merchants, it’s worth hunting out a bottle or two if you’re hosting a Greek-themed dinner party or looking for the appropriate pairing for your Greek dishes this summer.

Kefalonian Recipes

From Kefalonian meat pie to small pastries made with almonds or walnuts, there is something for everyone in Kefalonia. Here’s my pick of the best Kefalonian recipes to make at home. None of them require ingredients that you can’t find at a large supermarket and they all capture the taste of a Greek island holiday in the sun (which you might be in need of after the weather we’ve had in the UK this summer so far!)

1. Greek Salad

No list of Kefalonian recipes would be complete without Greek salad, particularly as feta is thought to have originated on the island. So simple to make, it makes a fabulous lunch or buffet side, or an accompaniment to barbecued or roasted meat and fish. To serve 2-3, slice one green pepper into strips, chop two beef tomatoes or four salad-sized tomatoes and half a cucumber into 2 cm chunks. Mix the vegetables together in a good size bowl. Drizzle with olive oil (Kefalonian if you can find it) and red wine vinegar and toss together then allow to sit for a few minutes. Finally, slice half a small red onion and scatter on top, then place a block of feta on top before sprinkling fresh oregano and thyme leaves on top (or dried if you don’t have fresh). You can add a few black Greek olives on top if you wish. Serve immediately, with fresh bread or warm pitta to mop up the juices!

2. Horta (Wild Greens)

This dish is found on nearly every menu as a side, and it is a really delicious way to make the most of whatever greens are seasonally available to you, since this is what the Greeks themselves do! Here is a great recipe for horta to experiment using different vegetables and herbs. The main thing is to use vegetables that wilt, so spinach, leaf beet, beetroot tops, chard, leeks, sorrel or edible wild greens if you are a confident forager. If you want something lighter, omit the rice and tomatoes and serve after adding the herbs and cooking for a further few minutes.

3. Kefalonian Meat Pie

If you’re looking for an impressive and hearty main dish, Kefalonian meat pie has everything you need. This recipe here will help you whip up an authentic Kefalonian recipe to serve guests or family. The only ingredient not readily available in the UK is Kefalotyri cheese. You can buy it here if you want to be truly authentic but it is expensive. My recommended substitute would be pecorino romano, which has a similar taste and texture and can be found in most large supermarkets.

Can’t Get Enough of Greek Food?

I absolutely adore Greek food, having been on holiday to Greece many times since childhood, and I love to make Greek or Greek-inspired recipes at home. If you want to try your hand at replicating some of the famous, and more unusual, cuisine of Greece and its many and varied islands and regions, I highly recommend buying Greece: The Cookbook by Vefa Alexandriou. I have had it for a couple of years now and the recipes are wonderful. I am always inspired when I look in it and both the cooking and the eating are a joy.

Looking for more recipes? See more of what I’m cooking here.

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