It's All Greek to Me

'Any chance of the recipe?" I asked the old lady. She scowled, then disappeared back into the kitchen of the taverna, never to be seen again.

I had a bit of sympathy: you spend years perfecting a dish, getting it just so, then some clever clogs ups and offs with it, and the next moment it's all over the internet and yours no longer. It was a pity, though, because we recipe writers are always on the lookout for new ideas, and the lady at the taverna at Perithia in the middle of Corfu had been responsible for one of the most delicious rabbit dishes I've had in ages. In the course of a holiday there and on Ithaca, I came across several dishes that moved us happily and seamlessly through long afternoons of conversation (followed by sleep) and animated evenings (followed by sleep). Lapis seas, lavender skies, the scents of wild herbs, the zithering of cicadas - and lunch or dinner. Does a chap ask for much more?

All recipes serve four.

Rabbit stifado

I have recreated this dish with the help of Flavours Of Greece, by Rosemary Barron (Grub Street), and Greek Food, by Rena Salaman (Harper Collins). The secret, I have decided, is in the number of onions. You need lots.

115ml red-wine vinegar 2 cloves garlic, lightly crushed 4-6 grains allspice (or ¼ tsp ground) 1 stick cinnamon 4 bayleaves 1 orange, zested 1 large rabbit (or 2 small), jointed80ml extra-virgin olive oil 140ml red wine 1.5kg small onions, peeled2 tbsp tomato purée 1 tsp honey Salt and pepper

In a bowl, mix the vinegar, garlic, allspice, cinnamon, bay and orange zest. Add the rabbit, stir to make sure the meat is well covered, then leave to marinade overnight or for 24 hours.

Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/gas mark 3. Take out the rabbit bits and dry on kitchen towel. Heat the oil in a casserole, and fry the rabbit, a few pieces at a time, until golden all over. Once browned, put all the rabbit bits in the casserole, add the marinade, wine, onions, tomato purée and honey, then add water to cover and bring to a simmer on the stove-top. Transfer to the oven for an hour and a half or so, until the meat is falling off the bones. Check the juices for seasoning, and if necessary reduce to an intensity you like. This needs just a green salad and good bread by way of accompaniment.

Lamb fricasée

This bears no resemblance to any fricassée I've come across. In fact, it is a stew, loaded with dill, slippery with lettuce, and doctored with milk. And it's really rather delicious.

125ml olive oil 1kg lamb on the bone (ie neck, best end, shoulder or leg, cut through bone) 1 medium onion, finely chopped Salt and pepper 1 bunch dill, finely chopped1 Cos lettuce, cut into thin strips 125ml milk 1 tsp flour 1 egg, beaten1 lemon, juiced1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Heat the oil in a casserole and fry the meat gently for 10 minutes without browning. Add the onion, seasoning, dill and lettuce, cover with water, bring to a simmer and cook gently for an hour to an hour and a half, until the meat is tender. Take the pot off the heat.

In a bowl, whisk the milk and flour until smooth, then mix in the egg and lemon juice. Add this mixture to the casserole, and heat gently to thicken the sauce. Scatter over the parsley and serve.

Fasolia gigantes

I fell hopelessly in love with these giant, fat Greek butter beans - they were as big as a knight's buckler, and plump and soft like vegetable baps. They were invariably served basking in a rich, rollicking tomato sauce. Oh, yummy.

250g butter beans (big ones, ideally)125ml extra-virgin olive oil 1 large onion, finely chopped 1 stick celery, finely chopped 1 396g tin tomatoes 1 tbsp tomato purée 1 clove garlic 2 tsp dried oregano Salt and pepper

Soak the beans in a large pot of cold water overnight. Next day, drain the beans. Preheat the oven to 170C/ 325F/gas mark 3. Bring a big pot of water to the boil, add the drained beans and boil for 30-40 minutes, until they are well cooked but not mushy. Drain.

Heat the oil in a casserole or ovenproof dish, add the onion and celery, and fry gently until golden. Add the tomatoes, tomato purée, garlic and oregano, season generously, and bake for 30 minutes. These are brilliant with grilled sausages - Greek ones, naturally.

Spinach and feta pie

2 tbsp olive oil1 bunch spring onions, sliced thinly1kg spinach, blanched and drained3-4 tbsp fresh dill, chopped 225g feta, broken up 1 500g packet filo pastry100g melted butter1 egg, beaten

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Heat the oil in a pan, gently fry the onions, then add the spinach and dill. Remove from the heat, and stir in the feta. Butter a tart dish, then line with three or four leaves of filo, painting each with butter before adding the next. Fill with the spinach mixture, then lay three or four more filo leaves on top (buttering as you go). Tuck down the sides, then paint the edges with egg to seal. Paint the top, too. Bake for 25-35 minutes, until golden brown. Eat hot or warm.