A crucial factor that makes Greek cuisine so special is its astonishing diversity. Every region of our country has its own flavor story to tell, constituting a valuable source of knowledge and inspiration for those chefs and cooks who wish to enter the soul of our national cuisine, to update it without severing it from the umbilical cord of tradition, and to creatively illuminate its local nuances through tried-and-tested innovations.
Manolis Papoutsakis and Sotiris Evangelou in action in the kitchen of "Makedonia Palace"
Vasilis Mouratidis and Dimitris Pamporis are clearly satisfied with the evening's culinary course.
For the 8th Greek Cuisine Awards ceremony, we turned to the very special culinary heritage that the institution's headquarters, Thessaloniki, carries. We invited four influential chefs from the city to explore the distinct culinary cultures that shaped Thessaloniki's cuisine and to select six iconic dishes that they modernized and brought to the present day, seen through the unique culinary lens that characterizes each of them. Sotiris Evangelou, Vasilis Mouratidis, Dimitris Pamporis and Manolis Papoutsakis They took on this difficult mission with great gusto and surprised us with an excellent menu full of gastronomic highlights from the historic cuisine of their city.
The four chefs' welcome was a trilogy of imaginative dolmades
As a prelude to the evening and a welcome from the four chefs, it was already served during the award ceremony. a triplet of imaginative dolmades – a trademark of the taste of Thessaloniki, with influences from the Greek and Turkish cuisines to the Pontic and Thracian. Fine cabbage dolmas with seafood, sour grape dolmas with gialantzi and special leek dolmas with minced pork came in elegant appetizing bites and matched with the refreshing acidity of the Blanc Des Côteaux Cuvée Amphora 2022 from the Thymiopoulos Winery.
Sotiris Evangelos' creation for the diner de gala was an ode to the political meze
The curtain of the formal dinner was raised by Sotiris Evangelou with the dish Palamida, Fasoli, Taramas. Paying homage to the rich culture of the political meze, the great chef married buttered fish with cream of bean soup, celery foam and mayonnaise with tarama in a multi-layered creation, generous in intensity and at the same time very refined. Such a gastronomic "meze" certainly wants the company of a companion with a strong personality and it found it in the refined Tsilili Grape Distillate from Hamburg Muscat.
Haminados eggs, a landmark dish from the Sephardic cuisine of the Jews of Thessaloniki, through the creative eye of Manolis Papoutsakis
The baton was then passed to Manolis Papoutsakis, who dived into the deep waters of Thessaloniki's rich Jewish tradition. Keeping the soul of the recipe for the Sephardic eggs of Chaminados intact, transformed it into a high-end specialty with quail eggs wrapped in clear jelly made from veal shanks, an advanced hollandaise sauce flavored with coffee, and "straw" made from unleavened bread. Garnished with fine Antonius Caviar, soft as silk and the sparkling white Domaine Karanika Brut Cuvée Speciale 2022, mainly from Xinomavro, went wonderfully with the glass.
The Pontic dumplings stuffed with cream cheese, feta and anthotyro cheese in a briam sauce with aromatic herbs and basil were the suggestion of Vasilis Mouratidis.
Next up were the Pontic dumplings by Vasilis Mouratidis. Honoring the Pontic gastronomic culture of the city, and at the same time his place of origin, the talented chef He wrapped feta and anthotyro in the ethereal dough of his handmade pasta and served them in a very aromatic and buttery sauce. of bream that had absorbed all the elements of the dish like a sponge. We enjoyed it with Stolichnaya vodka that gave the harmony the feel of an otherworldly, "gastronomic" Bloody Mary cocktail.
Dimitris Pamboris' dish focused on the urban side of Thessaloniki's cuisine and its Western character.
The epilogue to the savory flavors was written by Dimitris Pamporis, combining the urban side of Thessaloniki's cuisine with its timeless love for fish and seafood. In front of us came a perfectly sautéed sea bass fillet with a crispy crust and cauliflower kapamas, imaginatively deconstructed. in a cauliflower puree with smoked paprika, raisin and caper chutney, cream of vinegar and red wine and a very rich fish gravy with sautéed pine nuts. The Limnio 2021 of the Eastern Vineyard stood worthy next to this rich composition with a complex bouquet of red fruits and a full, long aftertaste.
A different kind of armenoville was created especially for the evening by Sotiris Evangelou
At the end, the official dessert of Thessaloniki, armenovil, awaited us., but crafted by Sotiris Evangelou in a charming version with dark chocolate spheres filled with orange cream, roasted almond, bergamot and crispy meringues covered by a veil of caramel opaline. The 2015 Evches Eratines Sweets of the Pieria Eratine Estate from Malagouzia displayed matching citrus aromas and with their elegant sweetness emphasized the virtues of the excellent dessert.
The lightly carbonated S.Pellegrino and the naturally velvety Acqua Panna accompanied the dinner.
The lightly carbonated S.Pellegrino from the heart of the Italian Alps and the natural velvety Acqua Panna from Tuscany, the two gastronomic waters recommended by the International Sommeliers' Association, accompanied the entire dinner. The exquisite raw materials and products for the creation of the dishes were selected by AB VassilopoulosFrom the serving of wine in special Riedel glasses to the impeccable flow from the well-trained service of "Makedonia Palace", it was an evening attentive to every detail, with an excellent menu of the most original and special that have been served in the history of the institution.
With the support
Ministry of Tourism- Greek National Tourism Organization
Region of Central Macedonia?- Region of South Aegean
Under the auspices
Ministry of Development - Ministry of Rural Development - Municipality of Thessaloniki
Sponsors
S.Pellegrino - Acqua Panna
AB Vassilopoulos
Official Airline Sponsor
AEGEAN