Kokoretsi

Many claim the name “kokoretsi” as far back as the Byzantine times, the Albanians, Bulgarians and Turks with different meanings and dialects. Today, very popular in the Turkish and Greek local cuisines. It used to be a Greek Easter dish but now you can find it almost in every Greek Taverna or grill-house the whole year.

Ingredients (based on the one cooked in the video)

2 full offal (about 3 and half kilo)

2 full lengths of intestines (this is what we used in the video but you may need 3)

1 suet or caul fat (the membrane that surrounds the stomach)

2 tbsp salt

1 tbsp plack pepper

2 tbsp oregano

White vinegar

Method

1. Place the intestines in cold water to make their cleaning easier. Find the end, open it and pour some water in the intestine. With one hand hold the intestine between your two fingers so you can push the water through and with your other hand pull to pass the whole intestine through your fingers and into another bowl. Repeat the process 3-4 times. The intestine should be clear in color and the water that will come out clean. Keep the one end hanging out of the bowl so you can have it handy when needed, pour a little white vinegar over them and fill the bowl with cold water.
2. Fill a large bowl with room temperature water and immerse the suet in it. Keep it wet until needed, this way will be easier to handle.
3. Wash under running cold water all the parts of the offal. Drain. Cut the heart, liver, lungs, kidneys, sweetbread and spleen to pieces 7x7cm (2.5X2.5inch) in size and place them in a clean bowl.
4. Mix salt and black pepper together and season the meat. Mix well so the seasoning to cover all pieces.
5. Sprinkle the oregano over the meat mixing it once more.
6. Oil your spit and start pushing your pieces through starting and finishing with the heart as it is a much harder organ and it’s good for an end piece. Use all pieces in order of, heart, liver, lungs, kidney, sweetbread, spleen and repeat. Make sure you they are all nice and tide on the spit and squeezed together.
7. Drain the suet out of the water and wrap the whole length of the kokoretsi with it. If it is larger than needed cut a little of the end to go around the kokoretsi once.
8. Take the end on the intestine and make a good knot at the top end. Start wrapping the kokoretsi first from top end to bottom end (horizontally) and then with fast movements around the kokoretsi in big spaces. Wrap the whole kokoretsi twice until it looks like a big tide sausage. You should have no opening were you can see the meat. The thickness will be about 10cm in diameter (3,5inc)

1. Start your fire and let the charcoal burn down before you put the spit on. Make sure you have enough charcoal ready to feed the fire for the next 2 hours.
2. Place the spit on the lower lever and turn the spit motor on low speed. Grill this way for 2 hours.
3. Wait 10 minutes from the time you take the spit off the grill before you cut in slices.

Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/W7hhiGWakG0 https://youtu.be/W7hhiGWakG0

History: https://thegreekchef.us/blog/kokoretsi-plekti-history/https://thegreekchef.us/blog/kokoretsi-plekti-history/

Recipe and photos: Chef Tony Kavalieros