Maouri
(Mouri, Mououri, Μουούρι, Μαούρι, Μουούρι Καλύμνου)
Maouri or mouri is the name of a traditional lidded clay dish or pot for baking, and the meat delicacy that’s cooked in it. The dish consists of a whole lamb or goat kid that is typically sprinkled generously with salt and pepper and slathered all over with fresh butter before it is stuffed with a combination of chopped lamb’s liver, rice, onions, tomatoes, olive oil, and red wine.
The mixture is usually flavored with aromatic herbs and spices such as bay leaves, cinnamon, cumin, cloves, spearmint, rosemary, allspice, oregano, dill, and pepper. Other common ingredients contained in the filling include pine nuts, currants, eggs, cheese, and ground meat.
Once stuffed, the animal is placed in the clay pot, covered with a lid, and allowed to cook in a traditional wood-fired oven for many hours. Read more
Traditionally, the pot is sealed with dough or mud in order to trap the heat and aromas inside, resulting in incredibly succulent, tender, and flavorful meat. Another interesting fact about this specialty is that people used to seal up the whole oven with bricks and mud to ensure no smoke or odor would come out of the pot.
This practice is believed to have arisen out of the necessity for the islanders to hide their food from the invading Turks and pirates. On Kalymnos, this meat delicacy is customarily prepared and served on Easter. Similar dishes with slight variations are also enjoyed throughout the rest of the Dodecanese Islands.
