Day 30: March 25th Dinner - Tsipoura Fish (Sea Bream) with Skordalia, Rice and Asparagus - April 1, 2014

A plate setting of the complete March 25, 2014 dinner that we were invited to attend this year. 

One week ago we had dinner with some family and friends, celebrating the 25th of March for two reasons.  First, it is the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary.  It is exactly 9 months before Christmas when Mary learned that she was pregnant with Jesus.  The second celebration is for Greek Independence Day, when Greece started the revolt against the Ottoman Empire in order to re-claim their independence.

O.K. Some people may not like seeing fish heads attached. These are just three of the 12 fish
cooked for the March 25 dinner.

It is always nice to have family nearby to have these celebrations together.  And, we are blessed to have several family members being inspired by this blog.  The family we dined with this year on March 25 actually made our already published recipe for Tsipoura (see day 8, March 25, 2013).  The cook was so thrilled to have the method of making these whole fish, and proud of her presentation of the fish, complete with the head!  Mind you, everybody who sprinkles seasonings on food sprinkles different amounts.  Some people are "heavy handed" in their seasonings, while others are "light handed".  We lean toward being heavy handed, whereas the cook for these Tsipoures (gilt-head bream) was light handed.  They were tasty either way, so we have bigger fish to fry!  (bad humour.)

Hearty and very garlicky skordalia made with yellow-fleshed potatoes 

The ladorigani (lemon, oregano, salt, black pepper and olive oil) dressing made by the host to be used on the fish and steamed asparagus.

The dinner table was set nicely, and the plans were made so that each person would get an entire fish. There were some smaller ones and some bigger ones, so everyone could choose a fish.  The cook kept the meal clean and simple, serving some rice, steamed asparagus with lemon and oil on it, and some bread.  There was skordalia, too, even if the fish was not fried bakalao, the skordalia was a nice addition to the meal.  And, of course, there is the ladorigani -- the oil, lemon, and oregano dressing/sauce that goes with almost everything, but particularly with this fish. It was a well assembled collection of foods that kept to the spirit of fasting.  For us, however, the best part was knowing that someone cared enough to use our recipes and directions!  The cook was as proud of her cooking as we were.

"You will be able to check envy if you rejoice with the man whom you envy whenever he rejoices, and grieve whenever he grieves."

From St. Maximos the Confessor (The Philokalia Vol. 2; Faber and Faber pg. 98)

Source of quote: http://theodorakis.net/orthodoxquotescomplete.html