1st Course Recipe

Soak bread

Tear the bread into pieces and place in a small bowl. Pour the milk over the bread and let it soak for 5 minutes until softened. Squeeze out excess milk (reserve a little if mixture seems dry).

Blend roe and aromatics

In a food processor or blender, add the tarama (fish roe) and grated red onion. Pulse a few times to break down.

Add bread and emulsify

Add the soaked, squeezed bread to the food processor. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the mixture becomes smooth and emulsified, about 1–2 minutes. Stop and scrape down sides as needed.

Adjust flavor and texture

Add lemon juice and black pepper. If the spread is too thick, pulse in up to 1–2 tablespoons of reserved milk or olive oil to reach a creamy consistency. For a pinker color, pulse in the optional grated beetroot (1 tbsp). Taste and adjust lemon or pepper.

Transfer to a small serving bowl, cover, and refrigerate while you prepare the other dips. Garnish with a small drizzle of olive oil if desired.

Prepare chickpeas

Drain the canned chickpeas, reserving 2–3 tablespoons of the liquid. Rinse the chickpeas briefly under cold water and drain again.

Blend tahini and lemon

In a food processor, combine the tahini and fresh lemon juice and blend for 30 seconds to 1 minute — this helps lighten the tahini.

Add chickpeas and seasonings

Add the drained chickpeas, garlic clove, ground cumin, and salt. Pulse to combine, then run the processor while slowly adding the olive oil. Scrape down the sides as needed.

Adjust creaminess

With the motor running, add cold water or reserved chickpea liquid, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the hummus reaches a smooth, creamy texture (about 30–60 ml total). Taste and adjust salt, lemon, or cumin.

Spoon into a serving dish, create a shallow well in the center, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle paprika and chopped parsley for garnish.

Combine ingredients

In a food processor or blender, add crumbled feta, Greek yogurt, drained roasted red peppers, minced garlic, lemon juice, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, and black pepper.

Process to desired texture

Pulse until combined. For a chunkier dip, pulse briefly and scrape down the bowl; for a smoother dip, process an extra 30–45 seconds while adding the olive oil in a thin stream to loosen the mixture.

Taste and adjust heat

Taste and add more red pepper flakes for heat or a touch more yogurt or olive oil to mellow and smooth. If too salty, add a teaspoon of Greek yogurt at a time until balanced.

Transfer to serving bowl and finish with a small drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of smoked paprika.

Warm pita

Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Wrap pita in foil and warm in oven for 5–8 minutes, or heat pita wedges on a baking sheet for 4–6 minutes until soft and slightly toasted at edges. Alternatively, warm briefly in a dry skillet.

Arrange platter

Place the three spreads in separate small bowls on a platter. Drizzle a little olive oil over each if desired, and garnish: taramosalata with a tiny onion or beet chip, hummus with paprika and parsley, tirökafteri with a sprinkle of red pepper flakes.

Serve

Serve immediately with warm pita wedges and lemon wedges on the side. Encourage guests to squeeze lemon over pita or dips to taste.