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Cooking With Chef Bryan - Falafel Gyro With Tzatziki Sauce

Discover the vibrant flavors of the Mediterranean with this delicious Falafel Gyro with Tzatziki Sauce. Perfectly crispy falafel patties combined with a tangy and creamy tzatziki sauce, all wrapped in soft naan bread or pita, make for a truly satisfying meal. Whether you're hosting a dinner party or simply looking for a quick and healthy lunch, this recipe is sure to impress.

INGREDIENTS

For the Falafel: 1 (15-oz.) can chickpeas drained

1 cup packed parsley

1/2 cup roughly chopped red onion

1 garlic clove

1 Tbsp. Tahini

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp ground coriander

3 Tbsp flour

3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

For the Tzatziki Sauce: 4 oz. Feta cheese

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 to 2 Tbsp. Extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup grated cucumber (peeled if necessary)

1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh dill

Black pepper to taste

Items needed to assemble (optional): 4 pita breads, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, slice red onion

INSTRUCTIONS

1) In a food processor, combine chickpeas, parsley, red onion, garlic, tahini, cumin, smoked paprika, ground coriander, salt and black pepper to taste. Pulse until the mixture is well combined but retains some texture.

2) Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the flour until evenly incorporated.

3) Shape the falafel mixture into small patties, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter.

4) Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the falafel patties until golden brown and crispy, about 3-4 minutes per side. Place them on a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.

5) In a small bowl, crumble the feta cheese. Add Greek yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, grated cucumber, chopped dill, salt and black pepper to taste. Stir until well combined.

6) To assemble, spread a generous amount of tzatziki sauce onto each warmed pita. Add shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, thinly sliced red onion, and falafel patties. Drizzle with tzaktziki sauce.

7) Serve immediately and enjoy!

Recipe: A Classic Tzatziki From A Legendary Greek Restaurant

For more than 45 years, Melbourne restaurant Stalactites has been dishing up traditional Greek food under a now-legendary ceiling of plaster shaped to look like the stalactites from which the venue takes its name. It was opened in Melbourne's Greek precinct in 1978 by Konstantinos Tsoutouras, who migrated from the Laconia region in 1968, and was a taste of home for the many Greeks who moved to Australia in the post-war decades. Famously, for many years, the restaurant was open 24 hours a day – and though these days it's not open around the clock, its late-night trading still makes it a staple for late-night dining in the CBD.

Over the years, Stalactites has been passed down the generations – now it's led by Tsoutouras's granddaughter Nicole Konstandakopoulos, who grew up helping out in the restaurant. While the menu has evolved over time, it's still all about recognisable Greek classics: chicken or lamb giros, souvlaki, spanakopita, and mixed grill. Plus, this house-made tzatziki, which is best served piled atop warm pita.

"We make our tzatziki all in-house at Stalactites," Konstandakopoulos tells Broadsheet. "This includes hanging the yoghurt overnight to strain the water out of it so it's nice and thick. We make over 1.5 tonnes of tzatziki a week, but have adapted the recipe to a small, manageable quantity that you can make very quickly."

Makes 1 servingPreparation time: 30 minutes

Ingredients1 small Lebanese cucumber300g thick Greek yoghurt, strained3 garlic cloves, crushed½ tsp vinegar1 tbsp vegetable oilPinch black pepperSea salt, to taste

MethodWash and cut cucumber in half. Do not peel. Remove seeds, if any, and grate the cucumber. Place in a sieve to drain liquid into a bowl. Squeeze out any excess liquid by placing cucumber in a tea towel and wringing it.

In a separate bowl, combine strained yoghurt, crushed garlic and vinegar. Add the strained cucumbers to the yoghurt with the oil and pepper and add salt to taste. Stir until combined. Adjust salt and add extra garlic to taste if required.

Store in the fridge.

stalactites.Com.Au

Spice-rubbed Pork Fillet With Tzatziki And Romesco Sauce

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Ingredients For the marinated pork fillet For the tzatziki For the romesco sauce Method

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.

Place all the marinated pork ingredients, except the pork fillet and olive oil, into a bowl and mix well.

Add the pork fillets and turn to coat in the marinade, then leave to marinate for 20-30 minutes.

Drain any excess marinade from the pork and heat a frying pan until hot.

Heat the olive oil and add the pork fillet and fry for 1-2 minutes on both side.

Transfer to the oven and roast for 8-10 minutes, until cooked through. Remove from the heat and leave to rest in a warm place for five minutes.

For the tzatziki, mix the cucumber and salt together and allow to sit in a colander for one hour, then rinse and pat dry with kitchen paper.

Place the cucumber into a bowl. Add the yoghurt, garlic and mint and stir to combine. Season, to taste, with salt and black pepper.

For the romesco sauce, place the pepper, onion, chillies and olive oil onto a roasting tray and place into the oven for 10-12 minutes, until soft and browned.

Meanwhile, heat a frying pan until hot, then place the tomatoes, cut-side down, into the pan and sear until blackened.

Place the roasted vegetables, ground almonds, vinegar, anchovies and bread into a food processor and blend for two minutes, until smooth.

With the food processor still running, gradually add 125ml/4½fl oz olive oil in a steady stream until completely incorporated into the sauce, then season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

To serve, slice the pork fillet and place onto a plate. Place a spoonful of romesco to one side of pork, and a spoonful of the tzatziki to the other side.

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