Chef Dimitra
Anginares a la Polita, Constantinople Artichokes (Αγκινάρες αλά Πολίτα)
Constantinople's spring artichokes, pale and lemony, braised with potato, carrot, peas, dill, and enough olive oil to make the sauce shine.
Culinary Explorer
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Macedonian Prasorizo (Πρασόρυζο Μακεδονίας)
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Macedonian prasorizo is a winter ladero of leeks, rice, tomato, and olive oil, cooked slowly until the leeks turn sweet and the rice settles creamy.
Main Dishes
Greek
Weeknight
Budget Friendly
One Pot
20 min
Active Time
45 min cook•1 hr 5 min total
Yield4 servings
Macedonian prasorizo is leek rice from the winter pot, a ladero where olive oil does the carrying and the leeks give the sweetness. In northern Greece, where leeks belong to the cold months, this is Tuesday food: modest, filling, and better than it has any right to be.
The method is plain. Cook the leeks down first, slowly, until they lose their sharp edge and turn glossy in the oil. Only then does the rice go in. Rush that step and you get boiled rice with green bits. Give it time and the whole pot becomes soft, sweet, tomato-stained, and creamy without butter, cheese, or any cleverness.
This is also nistisimo, fit for the fasting table, which is why I protect it from fuss. Orthodox Lent didn't leave Greek cooks hungry. It taught them how much a few vegetables, rice, good olive oil, and patience can do.
Prasorizo belongs to the family of Greek ladera, vegetable dishes cooked generously in olive oil and often eaten during Orthodox fasting periods. Leeks have long been important in the winter kitchens of Greek Macedonia and Thrace, where cold-weather vegetable dishes such as prasopita and leek stews mark the season. The tomato version reflects the 19th and 20th century spread of tomato into everyday Greek pots; older village versions could be paler, finished more sharply with lemon.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
leeks
Quantity
900g
white and pale green parts only, cleaned well and sliced 1cm thick
extra virgin Koroneiki olive oil
Quantity
80ml
plus more for finishing
yellow onion
Quantity
1 medium
finely chopped
spring onions
Quantity
2
sliced
medium-grain rice, preferably Greek Carolina rice
Quantity
180g
rinsed
ripe tomato
Quantity
250g
grated
canned crushed tomato (optional)
Quantity
200g
hot water or light vegetable broth
Quantity
700ml
fine sea salt
Quantity
1 1/2 teaspoons
plus more to taste
freshly ground black pepper
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon
bay leaf
Quantity
1
fresh dill
Quantity
20g
chopped
fresh lemon juice
Quantity
15ml
plus lemon wedges for serving
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| leekswhite and pale green parts only, cleaned well and sliced 1cm thick | 900g |
| extra virgin Koroneiki olive oilplus more for finishing | 80ml |
| yellow onionfinely chopped | 1 medium |
| spring onionssliced | 2 |
| medium-grain rice, preferably Greek Carolina ricerinsed | 180g |
| ripe tomatograted | 250g |
| canned crushed tomato (optional) | 200g |
| hot water or light vegetable broth | 700ml |
| fine sea saltplus more to taste | 1 1/2 teaspoons |
| freshly ground black pepper | 1/2 teaspoon |
| bay leaf | 1 |
| fresh dillchopped | 20g |
| fresh lemon juiceplus lemon wedges for serving | 15ml |
Equipment Needed
- •wide heavy pot or Dutch oven, 28cm
- •box grater for fresh tomato
Instructions
- 1
Clean the leeks
Trim the dark tops and root ends from the leeks, then split them lengthwise and rinse between the layers until no grit remains. Slice them into thick half-moons. Prasorizo is a leek dish before it is a rice dish, so don't be stingy here.
- 2
Sweat the leeks
Warm the olive oil in a wide heavy pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion, spring onions, leeks, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Cook for 18 to 22 minutes, stirring often, until the leeks collapse, turn glossy, and smell sweet. This is the step that decides the dish. If the leeks don't soften first, the rice cooks before their sweetness comes out, and the pot tastes thin.
- 3
Add tomato
Stir in the grated tomato and bay leaf. Cook for 5 minutes, until the tomato darkens slightly and the oil begins to show at the edges of the pot.
- 4
Cook the rice
Add the rinsed rice, the remaining salt, black pepper, and hot water or broth. Stir once, bring to a gentle boil, then lower the heat and cook uncovered for 18 to 22 minutes, stirring now and then so the rice releases a little starch without catching on the bottom.
- 5
Rest the pot
When the rice is tender and the pot is still loose and creamy, pull it from the heat. Cover and rest for 10 minutes. The rice will drink a little more liquid as it sits, so stop before it looks dry.
- 6
Finish and serve
Remove the bay leaf. Stir in the dill and lemon juice, taste for salt, and finish with a thin thread of olive oil. Serve warm, with lemon wedges. Feta is welcome if you aren't keeping the fast, but the nistisimo pot needs nothing more than bread.
Chef Tips
- •Use heavy winter leeks with firm white stems and pale green tops. If the leeks are dry, woody, or mostly dark leaf, cook another pot today. Liga kai kala: a few things, and good ones.
- •Greek Carolina rice gives the soft, slightly creamy texture you want. Long-grain rice stays separate and tidy, which is useful elsewhere, not here.
- •Prasorizo thickens as it sits. Reheat it with a splash of hot water and a little olive oil, stirring gently, and it comes back to itself.
Advance Preparation
- •Clean and slice the leeks up to 1 day ahead; keep them covered in the refrigerator.
- •The finished prasorizo keeps for 3 days refrigerated and is good warm or at room temperature.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 480g)
Calories
520 calories
Total Fat
23 g
Saturated Fat
3 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
19 g
Cholesterol
0 mg
Sodium
960 mg
Total Carbohydrates
74 g
Dietary Fiber
6 g
Sugars
12 g
Protein
8 g
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