Kotopoulo Youvetsi Recipes

YOUVETSI (TRADITIONAL GREEK ORZO BAKE)

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat; cook meat until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Add pureed tomatoes, garlic, sugar, salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium heat and add the orzo. Saute until slightly brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer orzo to a baking pan, spreading it out evenly. Remove meat from the saucepan and place on top of the orzo. Pour tomato sauce evenly over meat. Add hot water. Cover with aluminum foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven until all water is absorbed and orzo is soft, about 1 hour. If the dish becomes too dry, add more water during baking.

GIOUVETSI RECIPE (GREEK BEEF STEW WITH ORZO PASTA)

Steps:

• Pat dry your Giouvetsi meat with paper towels.
• Heat 1/2 of a cup of olive oil into a pan, add the chopped onions and carrots and sauté for 5 minutes in medium-low heat. Turn up the heat and add the veal; brown the meat on all sides until crusty.
• Stir in the tomato paste, sauté for a minute then pour in the red wine. Wait for the wine to evaporate. Add the tinned tomatoes, the sugar, the cinnamon stick and a good pinch of salt and pepper and enough water to cover the meat.
• Turn the heat down and simmer with the lid on for about 45 minutes or until the beef is tender and fully cooked. Occasionally stir and top up with water if the sauce starts to dry out.
• In the meantime, heat another pan, add 3 tbsps of olive oil and the orzo pasta and sauté, until golden.
• Once your meat is done simmering, place the orzo pasta in an oven tray along with the meat and sauce (remove the cinnamon stick) and mix.
• If needed, add enough water so that the pasta is just covered. As a rule of thumb you'll need about 3 cups of liquid for 1 cup of orzo pasta.
• Cover the tray with some aluminum foil and bake in preheated oven at 180C for 30 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil, add a splash of water if it has dried out, and put back in the oven for another 15 minutes.
• To serve, sprinkle with some grated kefalotyri or any hard yellow cheese and enjoy!

KOTOPOULO YOUVETSI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a baking dish, heat the oil over medium-high heat and saute the chicken in batches until golden brown on all sides. Set aside. Add the onion to the dish and saute until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, cinnamon, oregano, pepper or pepper flakes and tomatoes. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and return to the dish. Add about 1/2 cup stock, or enough to come about two-thirds of the way up the chicken or turkey. Bring to a boil, cover and transfer to the oven. Bake for about 1-1/2 hours, or until the meat is very tender. Transfer the chicken to a platter and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. Bring the remaining 1-1/2 cups stock to a simmer. Add the broth to the cooking liquid, stir in the rice and bake, uncovered, for about 15 minutes, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed, adding more broth if the rice begins to dry out. Place the chicken on top of the rice and bake for another 10 minutes, until the rice is tender. Serve immediately, sprinkled with the parsley and cheese.

KOTOPOULO YOUVETSI (BAKED CHICKEN WITH ORZO)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400?. In a large flameproof casserole or dutch oven that will hold the chicken or the drumsticks, heat the oil, and brown the chicken pieces or drumsticks on all sides (note: browning in batches speeds up the process). Remove them from the pan. Add the onion and cook it for 3 minutes or until it is soft. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, cinnamon, oregano, pepper, and tomatoes. Sprinkle the chicken or turkey with salt and return it to the pan. Add 1/2 cup stock, or enough to come about two-thirds of the way up the chicken or turkey. Bring to a boil, cover the pan, and transfer it to the oven. Cook the chicken or drumsticks for 1 1/2 hours, or until the meat is very tender. Transfer it to a platter, cover with foil, and keep warm. Bring the remaining 1 1/2 cups stock to a boil. Pour the stock into the casserole with the cooking liquid. Stir in the orzo or macaroni and transfer to the oven. Bake the pasta, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until most of the liquid has been absorbed, adding stock if the pasta begins to dry out. Place the chicken or drumsticks on the pasta and continue cooking for 10 minutes or until the pasta is tender. Sprinkle with parsley and cheese. Serve at once..