Arkatena - traditional Cyprus bread that are famous for mountain villages, primarily homodos. The recipe was brought to Cyprus from Smirna in the 1860s. The main ingredient of Arkatena is a sourdough on the chounten (Cyprus. "Arkatis").
Arkaten is done as follows. A ground chickpe, ginger and nutmeg are placed in hot water. Close a vessel with a mixture and leave it in a warm place for several hours to form foam. This foam is kneaded with flour. Then the resulting sourdough is mixed with a lot of flour, spices are added and bread is baked, which is called Arkaten.
In Cyprus, Arkaten often serves a treat for the feast of the Assumption of the Virgin on August 15. In this recipe, the finished Arcaten is used as the basis for pudding. You can buy such bread in a bakery or supermarket.
You will need:
- 300 gr. Jem from Paranets, - 150 gr. Arkaten; - 900 ml of milk, - 6 eggs, - vanilla to taste, - 50 gr. brandy, - butter for lubricating the shape.
Preparation:
- Take the shape, grease its edges with butter. Put the jam to the bottom. - Heat the milk. In a bowl thoroughly beat the eggs with vanilla and sugar. - Add warm milk, continue to beat for another 1 minute at a small speed. Add brandy. - Break Arkaten to pieces of medium size. Add to the mixture so that the bread is evenly distributed over a bowl and absorbs milk. - Put the contents of the bowl in the shape of a jam. - Put the form in another, wider. Fill a wide shape with hot water by a third. - Bake at an average temperature until the surface is browned (about one hour) - let the pudding cool and take it into the refrigerator so that it becomes cold. - Before serving, turn the contents of the shape to the dish so that the layer with jam is on top.
This article was first published in the “Vestnik Cyprus” on October 4, 2022. Part of the information could be outdated.
