So it’s time to share it publicly, because it’s simple, delicious and suits all occasions – from everyday suppers to dinner parties! The recipe:Ĭhicken Youvetsi is an easy recipe that will take a total of 1 hour and 10 minutes including all the preparations.

The second reason is that it’s very quick to make and the third, is that children love it! In the last two months alone, I have served this Chicken Youvetsi to over 30 people, most of whom have asked me for the recipe. Firstly it makes a rather rich traditional food much lighter. I particularly love Youvetsi with chicken for three reasons.

Altogether it whispers one word to me – home. Whether meat or chicken, it is enveloped in the sweet tomatoey luxuriousness of the orzo and topped with melted cheese. If it sits for too long or is reheated, half of its magic is lost!įor me Youvetsi is a delicious, comforting dish full of warmth and emotion. When it comes out of the oven it will still have some extra juice, but by the time it is served at the table you’ll see that it has already been absorbed by the orzo. I have perfected my recipe for Chicken Youvetsi after years of fine-tuning how I make it, and one of the major tips is that it should be served no more than 15 minutes after leaving the oven. While I love Youvetsi, I rarely order it in restaurants or tavernas because it is generally pre-cooked and re-heated, thereby causing the orzo to be overcooked and sloppy, and the sauce to have dried up. However, this recipe has evolved and now chicken is often used as an alternative, and even fish in some places. The original traditional version is for lamb or goat, baked with orzo pasta in a special earthenware dish known as a Youvetsi.

I cooked them a Chicken Youvetsi that had them asking for more! I have even made it abroad for family and friends who asked me to cook Greek food for them. It’s a dish I cook a lot and I almost always serve it when I have guests from abroad who want to taste something typically homemade and Greek. Youvetsi is perhaps the epitome of Greek comfort food.

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