Tigania, from tigani, the word for “frying pan,” usually refers to a dish of quickly seared small pork cubes finished with wine that is one of Greece’s favorite carnivorous mezedes. But vegetarians and vegans are having their day in Athens, too, and despite the incredible wealth of traditional plant-based dishes that are part of Greek cuisine, there’s also a move toward redesigning the classics to appeal to a growing audience of vegetarians. This dish in so many ways represents the new Athens: Greek but international, too, culled from tradition but changed, a mix of well-known Greek ingredients like honey, with newcomers like soy sauce, which would have been an unthinkable, even unknowable, addition a generation ago.
MAKES 6 TO 8 MEZE SERVINGS
INGREDIENTS:
Athens: Food, Stories, Love
Diane Kochilas
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1 pound button mushrooms (or a mix of portobellos, oyster mushrooms, shiitakes, cepes, and porcini)
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3 tablespoons extra-virgin Greek olive oil
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1 large red onion, finely chopped
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3 garlic cloves, minced
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Salt to taste
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1 (15-ounce) can good-quality, low-sodium chickpeas, rinsed and drained
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⅓ cup dry white wine
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2 tablespoons soy sauce
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2 teaspoons Greek honey
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3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
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Pinch cayenne
DIRECTIONS:
Trim and wipe the mushrooms clean. Cut them into halves, thick slices, chunks, and/or strips, depending on the variety (they should all be about the same size; if using morels, keep whole).
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté, stirring, until soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic. Add the mushrooms, in batches if necessary, season with a little salt, then cover and cook until they lose about half their volume.
Add the chickpeas and wine and cook until the alcohol in the wine evaporates, then add the soy sauce, honey, thyme, salt, and cayenne. Cook for a few more minutes, stirring gently, then transfer to a bowl or plate and serve.
From ATHENS: Food, Stories, Love by Diane Kochilas. Copyright © 2025 by the author, and reprinted with permission of St. Martin’s Publishing Group.
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