gourmet glow: a cretian masterpiece

Founder of the inspiring Gourmet Glow, Suze never ceases to amaze us with her ingenuity. Having recently travelled to the glorious Greek island of Crete, Suze created a feast for the eyes and the senses with this unassuming yet incredibly delicious recipe. Containing a selection of quality ingredients, including hilopites, a type of Greek pasta, ouzo, lemon and mountain oregano, this dish is packed full of flavour and to quote Suze it really is “a party on the palate”.

“Visiting Crete was nourishment for the body and soul. Bathed in the Mediterranean Sea, bound by the Aegean & Libyan Seas, its salinic soil and mountainous terrain ensures that the flora and fauna are substantial enough to withstand the extreme conditions. The resulting produce is heady with flavour and texture, a celebration of the ability to harness the fruits of its environment.” ~ Suze

If you’re new to us, you may not know that we have created several bespoke pieces for Suze, including this terracotta ramen bowl, all of which have had the honour of hosting some of her most incredible recipes.

We hand-formed the ramen bowl into a perfectly imperfect shape, before layers of off-white glaze were hand-painted onto carefully considered areas of the clay. Using foliage from one of our many woodland walks we made delicate markings on the surface to create a subtle texture.

The combination of the earthy hues of the clay and the elegance of the matte-white glaze really allow the dish sing, with its vibrant shades of yellow, purple and green creating a truly mesmerising display of culinary craftsmanship.

We’ll be making this over the summer for family and friends; we’d love you to try it too and let us know what you think. You can find the full recipe and method here.

HILOPITES WITH OUZO, LEMON & MOUTAIN OREGANO

Ingredients:
4tbsp Olive Oil, plus extra to serve.
350g Hilopites
1 Onion finely chopped.
1 Bulb Fennel, finely sliced, plus fronds.
2 Cloves garlic, minced.
2 large Handfuls fresh Spinach
150ml Ouzo
1 tsp Dried Mountain Oregano
1 Lemon, Zest & Juice
400g Cooked Butterbeans, drained
Sea Salt & Cracked Black pepper to taste.
Fresh Soft Herbs & Feta to serve.

Method:
Bring a pan of lightly salted water to the boil and add the hilopites. Cook according to the pack instructions until just al dente. Drain, stir through 2 tbsp Olive Oil, and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tbsp Olive oil in a large sauté pan. Add the onion and fennel and cook over a medium heat until tender and just beginning to turn golden. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds more before adding the ouzo.

Bubble for 1 minute or so, until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the spinach, lemon zest and butterbeans with a pinch of salt and a good crack of black pepper.

Turn off the heat and allow the spinach to wilt. Add the lemon juice (adding it earlier will cause it to taste bitter) and good drizzle of olive oil.

Stir through the Hilopites and taste. Adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper, and lemon juice (bearing in mind the feta is salty)

Stir through the feta and herbs and serve straight away.

Recipe and photography by Suze of GourmetGlow. Explore more of her wonderful recipes at gourmetglow.co.uk