Greek Gyros

At first , I was stumped as to what country I should travel to from my kitchen with this blog post. Typically I center it around some sort of holiday or event occurring that month. This month, however, I was drawing a blank. So I decided to use somewhat of a different approach in choosing cuisine this time around. 

Since it was June, and the start of summer, temperatures had been steadily climbing, even reaching into the far 90s in degrees! It was boiling hot out and my family and I agreed we needed a colder meal to cool us down. From this conclusion, I picked Greece. The country has a fairly warm climate in the summer and typically incorporates ingredients such as cucumbers, yogurt, and feta cheese that are essential for Mediterranean cooking.

For my three dishes this week I made pita bread, an integral part of many Greek meals, chicken gyros, a delicious Greek street food, and greek salad!

PITA BREAD

Origin

Pita bread is a classic in terms of Mediterranean cuisine. It is incorporated in many different meals, and not only serves as part of the dish, but also the vehicle through which one eats Mediterranean dishes. It can accompany  various dips, stuffed and eaten as pita pockets, or even used as a wrap. Pita is  often enjoyed with other Middle Eastern or Mediterranean sauces, such as hummus, baba ganoush, and tzatziki. Or, if served as a pita pocket or wrap, holds ingredients such as tomatoes, onions, lamb, and cucumbers. 

This versatile flatbread is believed to have originated from the Bedouin peoples, west of the Mediterranean. As the Bedouins made their way across the Sahara and Arabian deserts for trade and travel, they spread pita with them. Soon, it became a staple in many Mediterranean and Middle Eastern homes. It was a convenient travel meal as well because of the limited number of ingredients needed to make pita. 

As pita evolved through time, it spread to far reaches of Europe and Asia as well. It is even believed to be the basis of a dish containing flat bread, topped with a tomato paste and cheese in Italy. As it spread to Italy, it was baptized as “pizza”. Pita now has many uses and is used as the common bread for any meal. Because of its versatility and shape it can be compared to tortillas, which are also often used as wraps and are essential to Central American cooking.

Process

As pita can have many uses, this time around I decided to incorporate it into chicken gyros. I started by preparing the dough. It was a simple dough with a base of bread flour, yeast, and water.

Once it was combined in a mixing bowl, I placed it on a pre-floured surface and began kneading it into an elastic dough. After about ten minutes, I formed it into a smooth ball and left it on a cutting board. There, I covered it with a light kitchen towel, allowing it to proof. 

Unfortunately, I didn’t take the proofing time into account and didn’t realize that I had to let the bread sit for hours on end. Because of this, I didn’t let the bread proof to double its size like the recipe had instructed and only left it out for about two hours.

After the proofing, I tore apart the soft, airy pita into eight balls and covered them again with a thin towel. I then let these proof for an additional hour. Once they had risen fully, I rolled them out onto a floured surface. 

Before proofing

After proofing

The rolling and cooking process were connected. Because the recipe had instructed me to cook the bread as soon as I rolled them out, it required rolling out the flatbread, then cooking it almost immediately.

I then started to test a few. The first two pitas didn’t go so well, they weren’t nearly big or thin enough to wrap my gyros in and burned easily. What I learned during the cooking process was that pitas cook very fast. I started on high heat but eventually had to lower it to medium because the pitas were quickly burning. I even had to lower the cooking time from a minute per side, which the recipe called for, to about forty five seconds on each, which I precisely measured with a timer each time. There was a bit of a learning curve, but eventually the pitas stopped burning and sported beautiful brown spots on each side.

On high heat the pitas also produced large air bubbles. However, they also calmed down as I lowered the heat.

Once they were cooked on both sides, I promptly removed them from heat and stacked them on a large serving plate, ready to wrap the gyros.

Taste

Although I’ll detail the combination of the pita with the other ingredients in the gyro section (below) , the pita by itself was quite delicious. It served as a really nice wrap and was the perfect size to stuff the filling into, although mine still ended up overflowing. It was a delicious base and although I’ve tasted it before, it was even better fresh and now has a place in my heart as one of my favorite breads. Not only was it fairly simple to make, but it's also delicious and addictive. Even days after, I kept returning to the leftovers to have a piece with hummus or on its own.

CHICKEN GYROS

Origin

Gyros have a Greek origin and can be compared to Turkish kebabs, Middle Eastern shawarma, and even Mexican burritos and tacos. They are typically filled with a base of lamb and beef. However, there are various types which also include chicken and fish. 

The origin of these cuts of meat dates back to the times of Alexander the Great, where it is said that his armies, looking for a quick meal once returning from war, would skewer cuts of meat directly on their swords. Although their meals likely looked very different from the Greek gyros we enjoy today, it is a testament to the history of skewered meats in Greek cooking. 

The present-day Gyros are said to have appeared in Greece around 1922 with an influx of Greek and Armenian refugees migrating from Constantinople and Smyrna. It soon became a popular street food, easy to serve and best made fresh and right in front of you. From there the wraps rapidly spread to Europe, the US, and Australia. Its reach is extensive, yet surprising since it is typically sold in small stores and food stands rather than large chains. 

Process

The process for chicken gyros wasn’t difficult per se, but it did have many parts to it. Like tacos, these wraps contain a plethora of ingredients. To prepare each of these ingredients separately took some time. Plus, while I was waiting for the pita to rise, I had something to do to fill the time. 

I started by preparing perhaps the most important ingredient, the meat, which was chicken in this case. I created a marinade out of a yogurt base, mixed with flavorful spices and flavorings, such as garlic, lemon juice, ground cumin, ground coriander, and paprika. The addition of these spices, especially the paprika, gave it a light orange color that was still prominent once the chicken was cooked. I then dunked the pieces of chicken tender into the marinade, covered the bowl with saran wrap and let it sit.

The recipe called for half an hour of marination time. However, I decided to let it go a little longer while I prepared the other ingredients. This allowed the chicken to develop an even better flavor and be served warm. 

While the chicken was marinating and the pita proofing, I chopped up some of the ingredients, starting with the cucumbers. I started by peeling the cucumbers until there was not a spot of dark green left. I then decided to cut the cucumbers into thin slices, starting them off as coins and then dividing each in half to form half-moons. Then, I cut up the large tomato in a similar fashion, also slicing them as thin circles and then cutting them up further into smaller pieces. Next, I chopped some red onions by cutting the onion in half, then placing them on the chopping board and slicing them into half-crescent pieces. After the onions, I cut up the dark green bell peppers. I started by slicing the bell pepper in half and then removing the stem and core and all the seeds that came with it. I then cut the bell pepper halves just as I had with the red onion. Finally, I sliced up some pitted kalamata olives into tiny circles as well. Each ingredient was placed into a tiny bowl to serve.

After the vegetables, I prepared the tzatziki sauce, which would be the first ingredient scooped into each gyro. The sauce is made of yogurt, olive oil, and cucumbers, along with a little bit of vinegar, garlic and ground pepper. I started by preparing the cucumbers. Because we had used up all of our english cucumbers with the cucumbers used for the gyros and the cucumber salad, below, I opted for about six smaller Persian cucumbers rather than a large English cucumber, which the recipe had suggested. First, I lightly peeled them, striping each cucumber, and then cut them into coins. From coins, I cut these into quarters and placed them with a pinch of salt inside a blender.

I blended the cucumbers for about thirty seconds, till it formed a bright green juice-like mixture and then took it out. 

Next, was the most unique, yet important part to the process, squeezing out the mixture. Tzatziki sauce only uses the dried cucumber flakes itself, rather than the juice that makes it so refreshing. This process is what gives the tzatziki its kick, the dry cucumber paste. This is also why salt is used, to draw out the water even more. To separate the two parts, I got a bowl, placed a mesh strainer over it, and lined it with another thin kitchen towel. I then poured the cucumber juice over the towel, letting the watery part drain into the bowl underneath.

After the whole mixture had been poured into the towel, I lifted up the towel and squeezed it until all of the watery juice had left the mixture. I did this a few times, squeezing the towel, then scooping the cucumber bits back into the center, then repeating the process.

Once only the dry, solid parts of the cucumber remained, I removed it from the now bright green stained cloth and placed it into the mixing bowl containing the other ingredients. At this point, the paste formed from the cucumbers had become so hard and thick that it resembled wasabi paste. I had to prod it a few times with my spoon to break it up and incorporate it with the rest of the ingredients.

It was finally done, and I refrigerated the dip to allow the flavor to fully develop and cool it down. 

Next was the final step, the chicken. I knew I wanted to cook the chicken last because the process wasn’t too complex and it was best served hot. I removed the chicken from its thick marinade and placed it directly on a preheated pan. So it would cook faster, I amped up the heat to high and cooked the chicken for a few minutes on each side, in some leftover marinade to develop the flavor. At this point, the kitchen was in utter chaos, my gyros were already running late because I had underestimated the proofing time for the pitas, so as I cooked the chicken, I also had to keep an eye on the bread to make sure they didn’t burn. I recruited my mom to help me at this point, as she watched and flipped the chicken, I manned the pitas, watching them closely so they didn’t burn.

When the chicken pieces were fully cooked on both sides, I removed them from heat and put them in a bowl along with a pair of tongs so they could be picked up and placed directly in each pita. Around the pita, I had placed each ingredient in a little bowl around a table top lazy susan spinning table. Then came time for my favorite part, the tasting.

Taste

By the time I served the gyros, we were all starving. But luckily, this only made the taste that much better. To eat the gyros, each person got a pita and then thinly spread some tzatziki sauce on top of it. Then came the chicken pieces. After that, it was pretty much up to each person. It was interesting to see the variety on our plates, even though they consisted of the same ingredients, it was obvious to see where our priorities lay. While my sister swore off onions, I put extra, as my mom veered away from the tomatoes, we stuffed our wraps with more. Still, we all enjoyed the gyros just as much, and the ability to customize each one only made them better.

My sister enjoying her gyro

The gyros were delicious and something I’d definitely make again. The first run through wasn’t perfect, but if I planned the pita process a little better, cooking gyros would be a breeze. 

Each of the ingredients really brought out a new flavor, from the refreshing cucumber, to the salty olives. But out of all of the parts to the gyros, the chicken far outshined the others in terms of flavor. Letting them marinate for a few hours rather than thirty minutes really gave it its strong flavor. If I had let them sit even longer, the flavor would have been even stronger. Along with the chicken, I really enjoyed the sharp tzatziki sauce, refreshing cucumbers, and juicy bell peppers.

GREEK SALAD

Origin

Although Greek cucumber salad isn’t traditional Greek cuisine, it does combine many parts of traditional Greek cooking with the ingredients. Unlike typical salads, Greek salads don’t contain any leafy greens such as romaine or arugula. Instead, they have a base of tomatoes, cucumber, and onions. Although it's very fresh, ingredients such as feta and olive oil really pack on the calories. Nonetheless, it's still a refreshing side, and the perfect light dish to serve alongside my gyros.

Although cucumbers, onions, and tomatoes originate in other parts of Europe and Asia, other ingredients in the salad such as the feta is native to Greece. Feta is only produced in Greece and is made from an unusual source, sheep’s milk. Sometimes, there’s also some goat milk, however, it can only make up to 30% of the cheese. It's the most popular cheese in Greece and has become a part of the Greek diet. Feta has become a driving force in the agriculture industry, supporting over 100,000 Greek farmers for sheep and goats. 

Kalamata olives are another authentic Greek ingredient. These olives are typically used as table olives and are known for their brown-purple color and salty flavor. Kalamata olives grow specifically in the Peloponnese Peninsula in Greece. Olives in general have been central to Greek life for millenia, with them even mentioned in ancient Greek mythology. According to legend, Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, gifted Athens, the Greek city named after her, with an olive tree. The gift symbolized fruitfulness and peace.

Olive oil is another uniquely Mediterranean ingredient. It is a main export for Greece and also dates back millenia to the origin of olive trees in the area. The olives are pressed or blended together, then mixed with boiling hot water to form a paste. From this paste, oil is extracted and squeezed out. The flavor of the oil depends on the type of olives used to make them, but typically it's made from a blend of green and black olives.

Process

The process for the Greek salad was fairly simple. It didn’t require any marinating, proofing, or cooking, unlike the other dishes and required only the preparation of a few simple ingredients. 

I cut up two english cucumbers, first completely peeling them, and then cutting them into thick coins. These coins were then quartered up and set aside in a bowl. Then, I cut up some roma tomatoes, cutting them up into medium sized pieces. Greek salad needs large pieces of vegetables to form a base, so I didn’t cut up the parts too much. I then chopped up some red onion and kalamata olives, placing each separate ingredient in a bowl to set aside.

I then combined these along with some freshly squeezed lemon juice, olive oil, and crumbled feta. 

I mixed them in a glass bowl, then covered them with saran wrap and put them in the fridge. After some time, I removed the salad and then moved it to a different bowl, which allowed the juices that had formed at the bottom not to carry over to the other bowl of salad. 

Taste

The salad was a perfect side dish to the filling gyros. Even when we were stuffed full of pita and chicken, we still spooned some into our plates as it was refreshing and perfect for a hot summer day.

CONCLUSION

Overall, I’d say the Greek dinner was a success! Just like the elotes on the last post, it was interesting to make street food, the gyros, into a dinner meal. Still, I enjoyed the sandwiches, especially since it was my first time having them. Although it was similar to street shawarma, that I’d had when passing through Turkey, there were definitely parts to it that made it recognizably Greek. The homemade pita was a great choice rather than store-bought pita, which is usually a few days old and not warm like this one was. The cucumber salad was super refreshing and I enjoyed the incorporation of the feta cheese and kalamata olives which we don’t usually enjoy in our house. 

It was a really satisfying meal and showed me that with proper preparation, making dinner can be simple and delicious.