Rooster in tomato sauce with hilopites surely belongs among the emblematic, rustic dishes of Greek cuisine.
The firm flesh of the rooster, especially a free-range one, the rich tomato sauce that thickens wonderfully with the starch of the pasta, and the unique aroma of cinnamon make all of us, or almost all of us, weak in front of it.
If you are one of the lucky ones, like me, and you have “connections” to a village and to a “country-style” rooster, do not hesitate to make it with homemade hilopites or kapama.
The only “special treatment” the rooster needs is a little more patience in cooking, because its meat is tougher and needs time to become tender.
Choose store-bought rustic hilopites or your favorite homemade hilopites, grate the cheese you love too, and you will make a truly sumptuous meal.
Ingredients for 4 people
- ½ rooster, cut into portions (weight 1,200–1,400 g)
- 400 g tomatoes, grated
- 1 large dry onion, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove
- 3–4 sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped (optional)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 bay leaves
- salt and pepper
- 60 ml olive oil
- 60 ml red or rosé wine
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Method
Pat the rooster portions dry with kitchen paper.
Pour half the olive oil into a non-stick frying pan. Once it heats well, brown the meat pieces on all sides.
Remove the pan with the meat from the heat and set it aside.
Place a shallow, wide pot over the heat. Add the remaining olive oil. Once the olive oil is hot, add the onion and garlic. Stir for one minute. Add the cinnamon and bay leaves and continue stirring. Add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes as well.
Then place the rooster portions into the pot. Stir with a wooden spatula for one to two minutes. Deglaze with the wine and let it sit for a while until the alcohol evaporates. Add salt and pepper.
Pour the grated tomato into the pot as well. Add 250 ml water. Lower the heat and let the meat cook until it becomes tender.
When we see that the rooster is properly cooked, remove the portions from the pot and keep them warm on a plate.
Add 1 kilo of rustic hilopites to the pot with the sauce.
Add 60 to 80 ml hot water. Let the hilopites cook over low heat. Stir them gently with a wooden spoon so they do not stick to the bottom of the pot.
During cooking, we will need to add a little more hot water.
When we see that the hilopites still have a little bite and need 1 to 2 more minutes to be properly cooked, add the rooster portions back into the pot. Turn off the heat and let the dish rest for 2 minutes.
Serve the dish hot with freshly grated cheese.
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