Recipe of the week

This recipe for baked courgettes (or zucchini) stuffed with garlic and feta makes a fantastic meze to serve with ouzo, says Vefa Alexiadou, one of Greece’s best-known chefs and food writers

Courgettes stuffed with garlic and feta

Serves 6 12 small courgettes, about 1kg total weight 18 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 50g chopped fresh parsley 1 tsp paprika 150ml olive oil salt and pepper, to season 12 small, thin slices of feta cheese 120ml water 2-3 tbsps all-purpose (plain) flour

• Trim the courgettes and, using a sharp knife, make four evenly spaced slits lengthwise along each one, taking care not to cut through to the ends. Preheat the oven to 180°C . • Combine the garlic, parsley, paprika and half of the oil in a bowl and then season with salt and pepper. Rub the garlic mixture into every slit in each of the courgettes, pressing it in with your thumbs.

• Arrange the courgettes side by side in a single layer in an ovenproof dish. Insert a slice of feta cheese into the uppermost slit in each courgette. • Pour the water and the remaining oil over the courgettes and then dust with the flour. Cover the dish with foil and bake for about 90 minutes, or until the courgettes are soft and the sauce has reduced. • Serve hot or at room temperature.

Taken from Greece: The Cookbook by Vefa Alexiadou, published by Phaidon at £29.95. To buy from The Week Bookshop for £27, call 020-3176 3835 or visit www.theweek.co.uk/bookshop.