Dakos
Cretan barley rusk with grated tomato and soft cheese (ντάκος)
Dakos is Crete's favourite summer meze: a round, hard barley rusk softened with a sprinkle of water, piled with grated ripe tomato and crumbled cheese, then drenched in olive oil and dusted with oregano. On the island it's made with soft, tangy mizithra and eaten in the afternoon with a glass of raki, but feta works well. The rusk drinks up the tomato juice and oil while keeping a little crunch. Look for barley rusks (paximadia) in Greek or Middle Eastern shops. Chef's tip: wet the rusk lightly, just enough to take the edge off; soaking it is the common mistake and it falls apart before you can eat it.
- Total time
- 10 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Hold 2 barley rusks (paximadia) briefly under a cold tap, or sprinkle each with 2–3 tbsp water, and put them on plates. Drizzle each with 1 tbsp of 4 tbsp olive oil.
Step 2: Grate the cut sides of 2 ripe tomatoes on the coarse side of a grater into a bowl, discarding the skins. Season with ¼ tsp salt.
Step 3: Spoon the tomato pulp and its juice over the rusks. Top with 3 ½ oz mizithra or feta cheese, 6 Kalamata olives and 1 tsp capers.
Step 4: Drizzle with the rest of the oil, sprinkle with 1 tsp dried oregano and leave for 5 minutes so the rusk softens a little before eating.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- Protein
- 12 g
- Carbs
- 38 g
- Fat
- 25 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does dakos take?
- About 10 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 2 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of ripe tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
- What can I use instead of mizithra or feta cheese?
- Goat's cheese or ricotta salata, same amount.
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