With its panoramic sea views and volcano vistas, Mystique is one of Santorini’s most luxurious hotels. And at its in-house restaurant, Lure, Chef Olivier Campanha is helming a new culinary programme characterised by locally and sustainably sourced produce that highlights the best of the region’s rich gastronomy.
Chef Olivier’s dishes put the focus on healthy cuisine that puts a contemporary twist on traditional Greek and Mediterranean flavours. Supper sat down with the culinary star to find out more about his signature dish, ‘Santorini Ntakos with Salad Haroupo’.
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What inspired Lure’s Santorini Ntakos with Salad Haroupo?
The Santorini ntakos salad is the quintessential Greek summer dish – a simple recipe with fresh seasonal ingredients, blended together with extra virgin olive oil. It’s inspired by a traditional Cretan dish, harmonised with Santorini’s imposing volcanic nature. To me, the dish represents the volcanic scenery itself: the carob rusks represent the volcanic rocks of the island, and the Santorini cherry tomatoes – which are some of the tastiest tomatoes in the world – represent the lava living in the volcano’s crater. The homemade salted cod fillet comes directly from the deep blue waters of the Aegean sea surrounding the island.
What’s in the dish?
Santorini cherry tomatoes, caper berries and caper leaves, salted cod fillet, carob rusks and extra virgin olive oil. We only use seasonal local produce, sourcing ingredients from a three-hour radius of Santorini.
What’s the technique behind the dish?
First, moisten the rusks with water (you may also add a dash of ouzo, if you like). Cut and marinate the cherry tomatoes with extra virgin olive oil and lemon, and place on top of the rusks. Then put the fine cod slices in water to desalt and place them on top of the tomatoes. Add caper berries and caper leaves and some fresh ground pepper, and top with extra virgin olive oil.
What do you love about this dish?
The Santorini ntakos is healthy and rich in flavour and nutrients; it encapsulates the Greek summer within its ingredients. Have one bite of the ntakos salad and the mind immediately journeys to a Greek island, being seaside and enjoying the sun!
What personal touch do you add to the salad?
The recipe for the salted cod is my secret! It’s inspired by an ancient recipe, where the cod is dried under the warm summer sun.
How do you see this dish evolving with the seasons?
It’s very easy to adjust ingredients according to the season. For instance, during winter, the cherry tomatoes can be replaced with pumpkin, and the fresh cod with red snapper.
Why did you want to include this dish on the menu at Mystique?
Mystique is a destination to revel in the joys of Greek summer, while disconnecting from the world and connecting with yourself and with loved ones. One of my essential joys of summer in the Greek islands is the fresh produce that is bursting with flavour, having grown under the island sunshine, and I wanted to share that with our guests through the salad.
