Mustagi

Mustagi

Benefits:

It may help relieve digestive issues
It may help clear H. pylori bacteria
It may help treat ulcers
It may help ease symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
It may help lower cholesterol
It helps promote overall liver health
It may help prevent cavities
It may help treat symptoms of allergic asthma

How to grow?

Mastic tree care starts with proper placement. If you plan on growing a mastic tree, plant it in a full sun location. It also requires well-drained soil, and occasional deep irrigation is an important part of its care.

It grows fairly slowly to a maximum of 25 feet tall (7.6 m.).

Recipes:

Fettuccine with chicken and chocolaty, mastic gum sauce

Ingredients:

1 chicken breast fillet

¼ cup of olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

½ cup of dry white wine

0,25 grams Greek saffron

200 grams of whipping cream 15%

1 tablespoon of Greek strained yoghurt 2%

1 tablespoon flour

½ teaspoon harissa

½ teaspoon powdered fennel seeds

½ teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon cocoa powder

½ teaspoon mastic gum, powdered with a pinch of salt

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Wash and cut both chicken breasts into small pieces and drain.

Dissolve saffron threads in wine and set aside.

In a bowl add whipping cream, yoghurt, flour, harissa, fennel seeds, paprika, cocoa powder and mastic gum. Mix it all together.

In a sautéing pan heat olive oil and sauté chicken on both sides and add onion and garlic and sauté as well until translucent. Pour wine with saffron and mix until the alcohol evaporates.

Add the creamy mixture, season with salt and freshly ground pepper and mix until the sauce has thickened.

In the meantime boil pasta according to package instructions and when cooked al dente, add cold water and then drain.

Serve chicken with hot chocolaty sauce on top of pasta.

Mastic ice cream

Ingredients:

600 ml (a full 2.5 cups) milk

100 ml (a full 0.4 cup) cream

125 ml (a full ½ cup) sugar

3 tablespoons of starch (I used corn starch, but other starches will also do)

½ teaspoon ground Mastica from Chios (possibly increase slightly, if you know you like the flavour!)

Optional: Sprinkle with chopped pistachio nuts and serve with sour cherry syrup (or jam) on the side.

Method:

Pulverise the mastic (since it is a resin, it will be easier to handle if you first freeze it for 10-15 minutes and then put the resin drops together with a couple of teaspoons of sugar in the mortar).
Whisk together the corn starch and 200 ml (about 0.8 cup) of the milk, making sure that no lumps are left. Set aside.
Whisk together the pulverised mastic with the rest of the milk/cream and the sugar. Heat until steaming hot and until the mastic has dissolved.
Just before reaching a boil, add the corn starch-milk. Stir continuously on low heat to avoid any lumps for about 5-10 minutes, until the mixture has thickened sligthly.
Remove from the heat and let the ice cream base cool down.
Refrigerate for a couple of hours, then freeze according to the instructions of your ice cream machine.

Masticha bread

Ingredients:

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp masticha

1 kg self-raising flour, plus extra for flouring kneading surface

½ tsp sea salt

7 g dry yeast

3–3½ cupswarm water

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing bread

1 tbs poppy seeds, to garnish

Method:

Place the sugar and masticha in a mortar and pestle and pound to a smooth powder.

Place the flour in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the sea salt and masticha mixture. Dissolve the yeast in 1 cup of warm water and pour it into the well in the flour. Add the olive oil.

Mix all the ingredients and gradually add the remaining water, mixing with your hands untila firm dough forms. Knead for at least 10 minutes, using your hands, not an electric mixer or bread maker.

Cover the bowl lightly with a towel and set aside for at least an hour, until the dough has almost doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 160°C.

Form the dough into a round roll and place it on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Cover with a towel and leave for a further 30 minutes.

Brush the top of the bread with olive oil and sprinkle the poppy seeds on top. Place in the oven and bake for 40–45 minutes, until golden brown. Serve warm.

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