Secret Garden

Secret Garden

15/06/09

Lunch at Polyphemus

As we were taking our final instructions before departing from the yacht obsessed harbour of Fiscardo, I turned to the dark, leather skinned owner and asked, “ where is your favourite restaurant on Kefallonia” With the time it takes to knock back a shot of ouzo, his reply brings not an answer, rather a swaggering endorsement of a healthy home-grown food culture, “ my wife is an excellent cook” came his effortless reply.
Ithaki, believed to be the mythical home of Homer’s Odysseus, is a tranquil, diminutive island, just a short hop from Fiscardo, across the crystal clear Ionian Sea and was to provide a memorable lunch destination. Stepping from our modest hire boat and undeterred but inspired by the earlier comment, we set off up the energy sapping winding road for the twenty minute hike to the village of Stavros. (Some kind locals offered us a lift after 10 minutes, allowing us respite from the searing midday heat)
Polyphemus is a traditional taverna, beautifully overseen by a wonderful Swiss lady, who brims with enthusiasm for the cooking that is prepared there. Every table received her full tireless repertoire of menu descriptions that left you in a gastronomic spin, making the choice a difficult one.
The setting is charming and cool, shaded by olive trees with strings of bulging, juicy garlic draped from their branches and random lanterns hanging for added ambience at night.
A chilled crisp, fruity local rose wine, drawn directly from the barrel, was refreshingly good and served in a ½ litre red metal jug. Crisp, lightly fried courgette croquettes ( kolokythokeftédes) encase shredded zucchini, garlic and hints of lemon. Golden, crunchy pitta bread, scattered with shavings of local salty sheep’s cheese was readily smothered with a creamy split pea dip (fava) containing diced red onion and pools of fruity extra virgin olive oil. Having delighted in skordalia the previous evening to accompany fried rockfish, my curiosity led me to order sun-dried octopus and savóro but not before our impassioned host had deepened my knowledge of skordalia. The smooth potato puree, infused with extra virgin olive oil and a powerful hit of raw garlic was, she said, usually served cold but in her opinion it is enhanced if served warm.
The intense flavour of the octopus was none the worse for being a little chewy and a brief charring on the grill developed a smoky taste. Soaking bread in the vinegary, oil and oregano marinade was a pure delight and a shot of chilled ouzo comes highly recommended. The old traditional dish of savóro involves first frying a whole sea bream, then marinating in vinegar, garlic, wild dried rosemary and plump currants. Usually left overnight, it is then gently reheated to release all the flavours. The gentle sweet and sour balance mellows in the mouth, just allowing the flavour of the fish to come through.
With the heat residing slightly, we ambled back down the hill, accompanied by the sensuous scent of wild sage, our stomachs and soul replenished by a delicious meal. Home cooking may be at the heart of Greek Island cuisine but this was an impressive substitute.