Greek Salad (Horiatiki)

La storia di questo piatto

Horiatiki means simply 'of the village': a salad born from the Greek garden, where tomato, cucumber, red onion, kalamata olives and feta gather under oregano and olive oil. Sun and sea seem to live in every bite, with nothing added to hide them.

Ingredienti

• 180 g tomato
• 100 g cucumber
• 30 g red onion
• 30 g Kalamata olives
• 50 g feta
• 1 pinch coarse sea salt
• 1 pinch dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Preparazione

1. Rinse the vegetables under cold running water and dry them carefully with a clean cloth: any water left behind would dilute the dressing and leave the bottom of the bowl swimming. Cut the tomato into large, irregular pieces, as if tearing them by hand, and the cucumber into sturdy chunks. Slice the red onion very thinly, so it stays crisp and fresh rather than dominating everything else. Place everything in a wide bowl without pressing down: the vegetables should sit comfortably, otherwise they get crushed and lose their juice.
2. Wait until the last moment, just as you are about to bring it to the table, because the salt from the feta and olives makes the vegetables release water. Sprinkle a pinch of coarse sea salt over the vegetables, scatter the Kalamata olives, and lay the whole block of feta in the centre without crumbling it: each diner will break it apart, so it keeps its creaminess. Sprinkle with dried oregano, rubbing it between your palms over the bowl to awaken its aroma, then drizzle the extra virgin olive oil in a thin stream over everything, feta included. Do not toss: Greek salad is served this way, with each flavour in its place, and is only mixed on the plate.