According to the traditional calendar, the herds of sheep
descend from the mountains, weather permitting, from September until around the
celebration of Saint Demetrius, when they are given back to their owners until
spring.
Giving back the sheep is also marked through traditional
celebrations, when a number of mutton dishes are prepared. Apart from pastrami,
the shepherd’s mutton dish in its own fat, suitable for the cold season, is
also prepared. To prepare thisdish, cut the meat in medium-sized
pieces, and allow it to boil in its own fat. Add finely cut onion and garlic,
pepper, bay leaves and salt. When the meat has boiled long enough to fall off
the bone, place it in enamelled or wooden pots and cover it with the molten
fat. The layer of fat at the surface protects the meat from getting stale. The
pots must be kept in a cool place, in cellars or storerooms.
Another dish prepared by shepherds is the so-called
sheep’s bread. This dish is usually made on the evening of November 7th,
a day before the Feast of St. Michael and Gabriel. On the morning of November 8th,
this bread is thrown into the sheepfold at the moment when rams are also
allowed inside. It is believed that if the bread falls face up, all sheep will
breed in spring.
To make this bread, you need one kilo of corn flour and a
handful of wheat flour. Put the cornflower in a pot, pour some hot, slightly
salted water over it, and then add the wheat flour. Stir into the flour mixture, adding a little bit of sugar, until the doughgets easily separated from the side ofthe bowl and forms a ball.
Punch the dough down and shape into loaves. Put them in a clay pot and cook
them in an oven or in embers. Eat the loaves as you would regular bread. Enjoy!