Marina Georgallides brings Greek flavours to SIBF's Cookery Corner

Greek cuisine took centre stage at the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) as Marina Georgallides introduced visitors to the flavours of traditional Greek cooking during a live demonstration at the Cookery Corner. 

Georgallides presented her Bifteki Gyros recipe, showcasing a delicious way of preparing Greek-style meat patties and transforming them into a popular gyros-style meal. 

The demonstration highlighted how simple ingredients and careful preparation can create a satisfying meal inspired by Greek culinary traditions. 

According to the recipe shared during the presentation, the dish serves four people and uses a prepared bifteki mixture, with an onion serving as the base for assembling the gyros. 

The preparation involves shaping the meat mixture around wooden skewers supported by an onion base to create a vertical gyros-style arrangement. The assembled meat is covered with aluminium foil and baked in a preheated fan oven at 150 degrees Celsius for approximately two-and-a-half hours. 

The foil is removed around 30 minutes before the end of the cooking time, allowing the outside to become crisp. Once cooked, the meat is carefully carved into thin strips. 

The gyros can then be served in flatbread with tzatziki, finely sliced tomatoes and red onions, bringing together a combination of textures and flavours associated with Greek cuisine. 

The demonstration also offered visitors an opportunity to explore food-related literature alongside practical cooking techniques, reflecting the diverse experiences available at SIBF. 

Through its Cookery Corner programme, the book fair brings culinary knowledge, recipes and live demonstrations into the wider celebration of books, culture and creativity. 

Marina Georgallides

BIFTÉKIA GÝROS

Ingredients: 

Beef Patties in Gyros Form 

For a hands-off kind of dinner that you can whack straight in the oven, you can also create a gyros which, once carved, turns into gorgeous crispy bits that you can stuff into pitta bread. You need a kebab spike to make gyros but you can easily create a makeshift one by cutting an onion in half, placing 2 halves, cut side down, on the lined tray, and spearing one of the halves with 2 wooden skewers. 

Assemble the gyros by piercing the chicken thighs, threading them on the skewers one on top of the other, and top the gyros with the remaining onion half. 

SERVES 4

- 1 × quantity of prepared biftékia mixture (see recipe above)

- 1 onion, halved 

Method

1. Prepare the oven and baking tray 

Preheat the oven to 150°C fan (345°F), Gas Mark 3½ and line a baking tray with baking paper. Prepare the biftékia mixture as opposite. Place a kebab spike on the lined tray and skewer with one of the onion halves to make the base. 

2. Assemble the gyros 

Using your hands, mould about a handful of the mixture around the base of the spike so that it sticks. Repeat this with the rest of the mixture, a handful at a time, and moulding it around the kebab spike to build up your gyros. Then skewer the other onion half on top. 

3. Bake the gyros 

Cover the gyros with foil and place it in the oven to bake for 2¼ hours. Remove the foil about 30 minutes before the end of the cooking time to allow the outside to become crispy. 

Transfer to a board, pull out the kebab spike and carefully carve the gyros into thin strips. You could also carve the gyros when you remove the foil and return the shavings to the oven to crisp up more evenly. 

4. Serve 

Serve the gyros on flatbread with tzatziki and some thinly sliced tomato and red onion. 

Recipe details:

- Oven temperature: 150°C fan (345°F)

- Gas Mark: 3½

- Cooking time: 2¼ hours

- Final 30 minutes: Remove foil to crisp the outside

- Serving suggestion: Flatbread, tzatziki, tomato and red onion.