Yiayia Anastasia’s Greek marinated sea bream and punchy skordalia dip

A pairing that can make the eyes water - from joy and flavour intensity

My Yiayia is an original legend; master of the fire, cucumber whisperer, strongest calves in Corfu and shoulders to rival a Greek Donkey. Now she’s a local celebrity after I put her all over instagram and her film got 4.7 stars on short film platform, Nowness.

Since I started to film, cook and photograph Yiayia (a diva attitude is starting to show). The minute I arrive home with a photographer in tow, village family members start appearing, from behind bougainvillea bushes, through beaded curtains, rising from their plastic chairs - approaching me and embracing me. The biggest hug comes from Yiayia, cheek bones smashing from the force of the two kisses. Hugs turn to abuse quite quickly. She loves to tell me I’m getting fat and breaks into hysterical laughter at the look on my face.

It’s better for everyone that she keeps her manipulations to the fish, which she prepares with great prowess, then slips them into the fire at exactly the right moment, flicking olive oil across their bodies with her stick of dried oregano. With Greek salad made with her own tomatoes and cucumbers, chips cooked in her own cloudy olive oil (when else do you get such luxury?), fresh lemon juice and a blob of skordalia, it really is Yiayia on a plate. I’ve styled, photographed and filmed this dish so much it’s become almost iconic. 

Don’t be tempted to put the potatoes for skordalia into a blender. It will go sticky, resemble wallpaper glue and cling to the roof of your mouth. I made this mistake when cooking a Yiayia-inspired supper for 40 and Yiayia was both cross and disappointed when she heard…

Yiayia’s flavourful sea bream