Sit down for a sunshine soirée that will have your Greek feast guests sipping, sharing and celebrating this festive season. Make it a memorable feast with something out of the ordinary: a Med spread fit for a summer Christmas.  

Grilled calamari salad with dill yoghurt 

Serves 6

A fresh salad that’s the perfect start to a big Christmas lunch.  

Ingredients 

For the dill yoghurt  

1 cup double-cream plain yoghurt
Handful dill, chopped 
1 small red onion, sliced
1 lemon, zested and juiced  

¼ cup olive oil + extra for frying
2 sprigs origanum, leaves chopped 
Salt and milled pepper
800g calamari tubes
350g cherry or medley tomatoes, halved
200g pitted olives of choice 
1 Tbsp capers (optional) 250g pickled peppers
1 small red onion, chopped 
1 lemon, zested and juiced 
Handful fresh basil  

Method 

1. For the dill yoghurt, combine all ingredients, season and set aside.
2. Combine olive oil, origanum and seasoning. Pour mixture over calamari and set aside to marinate for 1 hour.
3. Heat a griddle pan over high heat.  
4. Cook calamari in batches for 3-5 minutes until charred.
5. Toss calamari and remaining ingredients together. Season. 
6. Serve calamari salad drizzled with dill yoghurt. 

Roast leg of lamb with mint chutney 

Serves 6-8 

The fresh mint chutney takes our lamb roast straight down to flavour town!

Ingredients 

2kg bone-in leg of lamb 
Salt and milled pepper
6 cloves garlic, chopped
3 sprigs each rosemary and thyme, leaves picked and chopped 
10-15 sprigs dill, chopped
1-2 sprigs origanum or sage, chopped
1 Tbsp honey
3 lemons, zested and juiced (reserve juiced lemon halves) 
½–1 cup olive oil
3-4 small onions, peeled and halved or quartered   

For the mint chutney  

Handful fresh mint 
Handful fresh coriander
2 cloves garlic
1 jalapeño, chopped (optional)
2 limes or 1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 ½ Tbsp honey or sugar 
Cold water  

For serving  

Roasted carrots
Handful dill and mint 
Crispy smashed potato salad with tzatziki
Toasted flatbread  

Method 

1. Generously season lamb and set aside.
2. Combine remaining ingredients, except the onions, and rub all over lamb to coat. 
3. Allow to marinate for at least 1-2 hours or overnight in the fridge.
4. Transfer lamb to an ovenproof dish or roasting tray. Nestle onions and reserved lemon halves around lamb and pour over excess marinade liquid. 
5. Preheat oven to 200°C.
6. Cover with foil and roast for 31⁄2 hours, basting with pan juices every 45 minutes. 
7. Reduce heat to 180°C, remove foil and cook for another 30 minutes until browned.
8. Combine mint chutney ingredients and roughly blitz in a food processor or with a stick blender, adding a splash of water if needed. Blitz until chunky or smooth, if you like, and season.
9. Place lamb on a platter and top with chutney and fresh herbs. Serve with salad and flatbreads on the side.  

Phyllo orange cake 

Serves 6-8 

Serve this scrumptious orange-scented cake with vanilla ice cream as soon as it comes out the oven. 

Ingredients 

2 oranges, sliced (or use blood oranges when in season)
1 cup (250ml) water
1 cup (200g) white granulated sugar 
1 vanilla bean, cut open and seeds removed (or use 1 tsp vanilla essence) 
1 box (500g) phyllo pastry, cut in half
4 eggs
1 egg yolk
1 cup (220g) castor sugar
1 cup (250ml) canola oil
1 Tbsp (15ml) baking powder
2 oranges, zested and juiced
1½  cups (375ml) double-cream plain yoghurt
1 cup (250ml) milk
Vanilla ice cream, for serving  

Method 

1. Combine orange slices, water, sugar and half the vanilla in a small pot over medium heat. Simmer to reduce and reach a syrupy consistency.
2. Remove oranges slices and arrange on baking paper. Set aside. 
3. Whisk together eggs, egg yolk, castor sugar, oil, remaining vanilla, baking powder, orange zest and juice, yoghurt and milk until well combined.
4. Pour half the batter in a 30x20cm tray lined with baking paper.
5. Crinkle each sheet of phyllo pastry and pack tightly over yoghurt batter until the tray is filled.
6. Pour over remaining yoghurt mixture, shaking the tin until batter is spread evenly.
7. Set aside for 20 minutes.
8. Preheat oven to 180°C.
9. Bake cake for 50-55 minutes until golden and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
10. Pour prepared syrup over cake while still hot.
11. Serve garnished with candied orange slices and ice cream.  

Recipes & styling: Gail Damon 

Photographs: Zhann Solomons

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