Greek Mushroom Stifado with Roasted Lemon Potatoes

Although this version skips the traditional meat in the stifado, it does not lack of flavors. The hearty taste of mushrooms is more than compensating for it. Serve with roasted potatoes as a main dish or with pita bread as part of a mezze.

Servings: 4

Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

Ingredients are for Greek Mushroom Stifado only, see roasted potatoes recipe here.

• 4 cups (400 g) bite-sized cauliflower florets
• 3/4 cup (100 g) raisins
• 5 Tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 2 lbs (900 g) small brown mushrooms or if larger, quartered
• 1 tsp dry oregano
• 1 tsp dry thyme
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 cup (240 ml) dry white wine
• juice of 1 lemon
• salt and freshly pepper to taste
• 1 can (15 oz/425 g) diced tomatoes, drained and juices reserved
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 2 Tbsp flat-leaf parsley or mint, roughly chopped for garnish
• 1 cup (60 g) scallions, sliced into 1 inch (2,5 cm) pieces

Preparation:

Bring water to a boil in a saucepan. Blanch raisins and cauliflower for 3-4 minutes. Drain and transfer both to a plate to cool. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil and the coriander seeds in a large skillet over medium-high.

Add the chopped onion and cook until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms, lemon juice, thyme, oregano and ground coriander to the onion mix. Cook for about 2 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Add the wine and simmer it until almost evaporated. Add the drained tomatoes and the tomato paste to the mushrooms. Cook until the mushroom /tomato sauce has thickened a bit, about 5-10 minutes longer. Taste for salt and pepper. Just before serving, add the cauliflower and raisins. If sauce is too thick to your liking or if you prefer a more runny sauce to mop up, just add a bit of the reserved tomato juice.

Mound mushrooms and cauliflower on a plate, drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and garnish with parsley or mint and scallions.

A nice side dish are Greek lemon roasted potatoes. Serve warm or at room temperature. Greek dishes are not served hot.