Full disclosure here: I love this book because I'm Greek. That being said, even if I weren't I would still consider it one of the best Greek cookbooks to come out since Diane Kochilas' The Glorious Foods of Greece. Famed New York chef Michael Psilakis' How to Roast a Lamb captures the essence of Greek cooking, Greek people, and Greek hospitality in his first book. Actually, true Greek cooking is an amalgamation of all these components because behind every good Greek recipe is a Greek in love with the pursuit of life. Psilakis' book is full of familiar and not so familiar Greek recipes, and each of the ten chapters carries a similar theme of family and fellowship. From large family dinner recipes such as Pastitsio and Beef Stew with Leeks to modern interpretive recipes such as Skordalia Potato-Garlic Soup with Crispy Bacaliaros Confit and Anthos Shellfish Youvetsi, Psilakis covers the Greek culinary spectrum in terms of ingredient, occasion, and season.

With several restaurants to run, it's amazing he found time to write such a thoughtful and comprehensive cookbook. But I suspect that much of this task was as liberating as it was enjoyable. Read between the recipes and you'll find a man who has struggled with his identity, his cultural expectations, and (hopefully) his newfound peace.

I selected Whole Grilled Loup De Mer because fish is such an important part of Greek cuisine. Of course, it's a large country with plenty of mountainous regions that have their own specialties, but for those of us who visit or dream of visiting, the idea of sitting at a beachside taverna, at a simple wooden table with the Aegean sea lapping at our feet, it doesn't get any better than fresh-from-the-sea grilled fish.

For more on How to Roast a Lamb check out my review with the recipes for Roasted Leg of Lamb and Pheasant with Spaghetti.

Whole Grilled Loup De Mer

amazon.com

Serves 4

This recipe is my take on "whole grilled fish." It's the only dish that has not changed on the Anthos menu. The butchering here is a little difficult, but the result is simple grilled fish with no bones, as juicy and texturally sound as its fully bone-in counterpart. Additionally, the black olive compound butter internally bastes the fish while grilling. The results are spectacular. The caul fat, which melts away when grilling, reinforces the structural integrity of the boneless fish while sealing the compound butter in its cavity. If you are against the use of butter, this technique will allow you to stuff the fish with anything that excites you. My personal favorite is sun-dried tomato purée used to stuff the Roasted Leg of Lamb (page 142). This dish will not really achieve its potential without Ladolemono, so take a moment to make it. Here, we serve two fish for four people, but big eaters should feel free to double the compound butter and serve one fish per person.

• 1/2 teaspoon Dried Lemon Zest or 1/4 teaspoon fresh
• 4 cloves Garlic Confit (see here) or 1 tablespoon Garlic Purée (see here)
• 1/2 scallion, green part only, roughly chopped
• Kosher salt
• 2 oil-cured black olives, pitted and torn
• 3 ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature
• Cracked black pepper
• 2 whole loup de mer or branzino, about 1 pound each
• About 3 ounces pork caul fat (see option below)
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Ladolemono (see below)
• Small handful torn fresh herbs, such as dill, parsley, and/or chives
• Sea salt

Ladolemono

From How to Roast a Lamb by Michael Psilakis (Little, Brown and Company, 2009)

• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon dry Greek oregano
• Kosher salt and cracked black pepper
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
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