and feta and olives and Kasseri and cherry tomatoes

Do you know what siglino is? We are entering Greek charcuteries territory. Come along, I made a baked omelette with this great smoked pork cut, siglino, a couple of great Greek cheeses, feta and kasseri and a few other yummies. Nothing beats an omelette, especially during the summer.

Head straight to the recipe.

Siglino is very much like the Italian pancetta. Home made siglino is really something, the curing tradition carries a long history. Back in the days that every household used to raise its own animals, a pig would always be around. The animal would be raised up until Christmas time and the opening of the festivities would call for the slaughter of the pig. Of course, it was impossible to consume the whole animal at once, so the rest was preserved in a few different ways, most notably sausages, smoking and curing. These products would be used to make up the meals of the family for the entire winter. Good old sustainability, if you ask me. I often dream of this small, self sufficient farm… then I wake up and I’m in Athens of course.

But there is more similar charcuteries throughout Greece, we don’t just stay at siglino. The speciality of Crete is apaki, and in the Cycladic islands it comes by the name louza. These cured pork cuts can be salted shoulder, loin or gammon hang to dry and smoked. Siglino is a tad more special as once it is cured, the cuts are boiled with orange peel and its juices, making it an excellent mezze on its own. It would normally accompany all types of dishes or be incorporated into stir-fries. In Mani the omelette is a mix between the Italian frittata or its Spanish cousin tortilla, as it comes with potatoes.

Another huge Greek summer dish is scrambled eggs with tomatoes, a light bite we often enjoy as lunch during the super-hot summer days. We call it kayana or strapatsada meaning that the eggs have had a good scramble. Additions to these classics are open to your fridge contents and of course your imagination. I went for an oven baked omelette, with spinach, cherry tomatoes, melty kasseri and spicy feta and olives. In brief whatever was in the fridge, so feel free to play around.

Ingredients

• siglino 1 steak or ham or bacon
• 2-3 spring onions
• 10-12 Kalamata olives
• 200 gr spinach
• 10 cherry tomatoes
• 150 gr kasseri or yellow melting cheese
• 100 gr feta
• 7-8 eggs used a 20 cm round baking dish

What to do:

1. Chop the siglino or bacon and slice the spring onion, prepare a large frying pan with a tablespoon of olive oil and sauté for a few minutes.
2. Meanwhile beat the eggs and add the grated kasseri, season with salt and pepper
3. Transfer the sautéed ingredients in the baking tray, chop the rest of the feta and kasseri in squares, add them in and pour over the bitten eggs mixture
4. Switch on your grill and cook for approximately 30 minutes

Enjoy with really good company! This post was inspired by last years’ summer break in Mani, check it out. I still have no plans for this one, but I guess I will improvise.

From Athens with love,

Eugenia

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