Regular readers of my site will know that I get inspiration from many sources. There are the dishes that I grew up with, there are dishes that I discover while visiting friends or family in Greece, other blogs that are centered around Greek food and finally, the Greek chefs of the day.

One such chef is Dina Nikolaou. Dina grew up in central Greece, studied economics in Paris and in turn decided on a change in direction…towards food. The studied at the famed Le Cordon Bleu, Ritz Escoffier, Allain Ducasse Formation and LEN OTRE. Along with her sister, they run the Greek estiatorio Evi Evane.

Dina has appeared on numerous television shows in Greece, she’s a regular contributor to the monthly magazine “Gastronomos”, has just released a cookbook of recipes she grew up with and she currently can be found on Star TV on her daily show called “Nistikes Praktores” (Hungry Agents).

I have been a fan of her cooking for a few years now and you’ll find some more of her recipes within my blog. Earlier this week, my good friend Ioanna in Athens also shared a Dina Nikolaou dish and I’m you’ll be licking your chops over that dish too!

Before I get on with today’s dish, I want to tell you that I had the pleasure of meeting Dina this past summer. She came up to Thessaloniki to do a cooking segment in front of a live audience at the Tastland pavillion inside the annual Thessaloniki Exhibition.

Dina and I had a relaxed conversation about food, future plans, family, vacation, the internet, technology, her new show and of course…more food!

This dish appeared in Gastronomos and Dina used “galeos” or a hound-toothed shark fillet. I can sometimes find this fish at my fishmonger but on this intance, grouper was fresh, available and it made for a great substitute.

In the title of this dish, the words Prassini Saltsa are included. In Greek, this simply means “green sauce”. In this instance, the green sauce is made from a blend of parsley, celery and a wonderfully flavourful and aromatic fennel bulb.

To accompany this dish, the green theme continues and we have a “mashed zucchini flavoured with a mint pesto. In the original recipe, Dina used just zucchini and some flour to thicken the mash. I opted to boil some potatoes and just combine the two together when mashing.

Herbs are still available in the home garden and market, we should all have more fish and seafood in our diets, zucchini is still available and this dish is quite easy, just be organized and you can have this dish ready even on a weeknight!

Baked Grouper With Prassini Saltsa and a Puree of Zucchini and Mint

(serves 4)

4 fillets of grouper or hound-toothed shark (or other thick filleted white fish)

sea salt and fresh ground pepper

the leaves of 1 bunch of parsley

4 Tbsp. of parsley leaves

1 small fennel bulb, outer layer removed and coarsely chopped

1/2 cup of olive oil

1 Tbsp. of honey

the juice of half a lemon

2 Tbsp. of mustard seeds (brown are mild)

1 cup vegetable stock

Pre-heated 375F oven

Zucchini Puree

8 good-sized zucchinis, ends trimmed

2 large baking potatoes, peeled

1/4 cup olive oil

1 cup of fresh mint leaves

1/2 cup of pine nuts, lightly toasted

1/2 cup of grated Kefalotyri or Graviera cheese

(Romano or Parmesan are fine)

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Into your food processor, add the parsley, celery, fennel, olive oil and lemon juice and process until incorporated. Now add the honey, the mustard seeds, salt and pepper to taste and just pulse enough to blend.
2. Empty the mixture into a baking tray (large enough to hold your fillets and add the fish. Turn the fish over a few times until all the fillets are covered equally by the herb mixture. Cover the fish with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
3. In the meantime, place a large pot of water over high heat and bring to a boil. Add some salt and add your potatoes and zucchini. Boil your zucchini for 7-8 minutes and remove with a slotted spoon. Continue to boil your potatoes.
4. Place your zucchini in a fine metal sieve (with a bowl underneath) and use a spoon to gently push out any excess liquid out of the zucchini.
5. Place the zucchini, along with the mint leaves, pine nuts, olive oil and cheese and pulse until blended. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and reserve.
6. Take your baking tray out of the fridge and allow to return to room temperature. Pre-heat your oven to 375F.
7. When the oven is ready, pour the vegetable stock over the fish and gently shake the tray to blend in with the marinade.
8. Bake for fish (middle rack) for 18-20 minutes. Reserve and keep warm.
9. When your potatoes are ready, strain and place back into the pot and add the pureed zucchini and mint mixture. Mash everything together and some more olive oil (if necessary). Season with salt and pepper.
10. Serve each plate with a fillet and divide the puree equally. Serve with a Babatzim Malvasia 2001.