At Vai Palm Beach restaurant, Chef Christos Lapas prepares a Food and Wine pairing, combining Skaros fish and Samonion wine by Toplou estate.
A gastronomical combination with Siteia starring in plate & glass
Samonion or Samonio was called in ancient times the easternmost cape of Crete, near the famous ancient city of Itanos, from which the Apostle Paul sailed. The wild beauty of the Eastern Crete cape is dominated by the unique exotic Vai palm forest. An area famous for its natural beauty with crystal clear waters, known for its palm trees and rocky shores.
At the Vai Palm Beach restaurant, we met chef Christos Lapas who has developed the menu, inviting us to a tasty coexistence with local raw materials and a special acquaintance. He “introduced” us to “skaros”, a fish particularly common in the area but also in general islands of the South Aegean. The islanders honored him with various names, depending on the color – red, white, brown – “Thalamite” they call the one who lives in holes and is greenish, “aubergine” when it tends to purple or simply “pharmacite”.
In earlier times, the little fish were fried and eaten with greens, while the big ones were cooked, making sure to leave a lot of onions at the end and plenty of juice to dip their bread into. Thus, the skaros plaki as it called in Kasos or papa yachni as they are called in Karpathos.
Chef Christos Lapas sets a table with “Skaros plaki” and matches it perfectly with a unique Assyrtiko, from the vineyards of Toplou Monastery, which proudly bears the title “Samonion”. The Mediterranean variety Assyrtiko is cultivated with monastic experience organically in vineyards of the historic Holy Monastery of Toplou Sitia and gives the wines their special subtle notes intertwined with the rich history of the area.
Skaros Plaki recipe by Christos Lapas
For the sauce
- 3 ripe tomatoes
- 50 ml olive oil
- 2 onions finely chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 200 ml fish stock
- 1/2 bunch of parsley
- 100 ml rose wine
- salt, pepper, oregano, bay leaves, cumin
For the fish
- flour for the fish
- olive oil for frying
Cooking Instructions
Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and sauté the onion and garlic for 4-5 minutes
Deglaze with the wine, let it evaporate and add the stock, tomato and spices.
Boil the sauce over low heat for 20′ until it thickens, correct the taste with salt and pepper.
Heat the oil in a pan and flour the fish.
Fry on medium to high heat until it forms a nice crust and remove to absorbent paper.
We serve our fish and pour over our sauce, as well as chopped parsley.
A few words about the “Samonion” label | Toplou estate
| Variety | Assyrtiko 100% |
| Area/Vineyard | The vineyard is just 100 meters from the sea and borders the famous Vai palm forest. |
Organoleptic characteristics
Sweet aromas of lemon, pineapple, grapefruit at the same time earthy and metallic. Crispy acidity with flavors of ripe lemon and lime.
Food Pairing
Seafood, fish soups, shellfish, chicken skewers, fava beans, feta cheese, greek salad
Awards
Decanter World Wine Awards 2021 , Bronze Medal 87 points
Decanter World Wine Awards 2020 , Bronze Medal 88 points
Decanter World Wine Awards 2019 , Silver Medal 91 points
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