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No, really – the original recipe serves up goat. And we got the scoop on those god-tier roasted chipper potatoes.
At the end of last year, the lucky ducks of Melbourne (AKA us) were gifted a new neighbourhood wine bar with Bar Sophia in Glen Iris. Think unfussy woodfire cooking and the warmth of Greek hospitality.
We’re not short of a wine bar in Melbourne, but Bar Sophia head chef Nick Deligiannis says they’re not overcomplicating anything. “It's simple – we give our guests the best produce available with the best service we can give, with some of the best Greek beverages we can supply. Our ethos is simple, but it resonates with our community.”
The wine list spans Greece (naturally), Italy, Australia, France, Spain and Georgia, and there's even a 'volcanic reds' page dedicated to wines from Mount Etna in Sicily, Crete and Adriatic Croatia. And if you’re vibing a cocktail, the team have you covered, too – we love the Mango Marg and the Sophia Dry Martini Votanikon (that’s a Greek-gin Martini with a twist of grapefruit and olives). And the menu? It’s no-skips, but we can't stop thinking about those overnight lamb chops – Sfakiano – with olive oil and retsina, which is a Greek wine (like Malamatina), and the roasted potatoes that have been described as NSFW.
Nick was born and raised in Melbourne and started his cooking career in his father’s woodfired pizza shop back when he was 10 years old (we have that in common), and he’s worked in kitchens ever since. You could say he knows a thing or two about working with woodfire, so when Michael Badr and Marco Tenuta (of Melbourne’s much-loved venues Marameo and Il Bacaro) pitched him the idea of a woodfire Athenian wine bar, he couldn’t say no. “Together we've created a beautiful space in which people can enjoy a simple refined Greek offering that is produce-driven and nostalgic.”
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Nick says that in the south of Greece, particularly Crete, where he first came across slow-fire cooking style, they traditionally use katsiki (small goats) and braise them in onions, garlic, oil and wine until completely tender. At Bar Sophia, he’s swapped the katsiki for lamb with equally delicious results. “It brings some nostalgia to Greek Australians, giving them a different way of eating lamb, but still giving them that homely feeling,” he says. “We are a 60-seater wine bar and we currently go through about 200kg of lamb chops a week, so that just proves how much people love it.”
These chops are tender, juicy and perfectly seasoned. Tbh, they’re everything you could want in a mouthful, so we asked Nick if he would share the recipe with us (spoiler: he very kindly said yes). We must caveat that these are called overnight lamb chops for a reason, so make sure you prepare yourself for the eight hours of oven time. If time isn't on your side, Nick has given us a hack to get these done in three hours.
But before you roll up your sleeves and get stuck into making this at home, we reckon you’ll want to pour a glass of wine. Our pick for lamb? Red Hill Estate’s Pinot Noir is for those who lean into lighter reds – juicy red cherries, a lick of spice and super silky tannins. For the grenache-initiated, The Cat Amongst The Pigeons Barossa Grenache Shiraz Mataro is a full-bodied GSM that comes with flavours of dark berry fruits, plum, licorice, a little earthiness from the mataro and dark chocolate. If you prefer a straight grenache, it’s hard to go past the Krondorf Founders View Barossa Grenache – we’re talking red berry flavours, pepper and spice.
If red isn’t your thing, we also have a host of other brilliant food-friendly wines (prosecco, chardonnay and a limoncello Spritz) at the bottom of this page. PSA: My Dan’s members, right now these wines all come in at under $25 (and if you’re not already a member, it’s free to join).
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Bar Sophia’s Sfakiano ingredients
2kg thick-cut lamb forequarter chops
Salt flakes
1 tbs ground black pepper
2 tbs dried Greek oregano
500ml Greek olive oil
3 brown onions, sliced
10 cloves garlic
750mL retsina wine 1L water Garnish: 1 lemon, juiced; 2 tbs olive oil; pinch of oregano, smoked paprika, salt flakes
Method
Pre-heat the oven at 120 degrees Start by seasoning your lamb chops with salt, pepper and oregano In a wide pot or braising tray, add some oil and begin to caramelise the chops until the fat turns golden brown Remove one by one, then add your onions, then the garlic with the rest of the oil and begin to sweat down until translucent, roughly 5-8 minutes Once cooked down, add in the retsina and reduce by half Once reduced, add the lamb back into the pot and cover with water Cover with baking paper, then foil to tightly seal, and place the lid on top and push down to secure it. This ensures no loss of moisture Place into your oven for a minimum 8 hours or overnight Remove from the oven and allow to rest in the liquid for an hour to cool slightly Remove lamb and gently place onto a flat tray, ideally with a shallow lip. Spoon in a little braising liquid and stewed onions to moisten the bottom, and caramelise in the oven at 200 degrees for 10 minutes or until it develops some colour Remove from the oven, season with fresh lemon juice, olive oil, salt and oregano, and serve
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Roasted chipper potatoes ingredients
2kg chipper potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters 2 sprigs thyme 1 tbsp sea salt 250g ghee
250mL Greek olive oil 2 tbs Greek oregano Salt flakes 1 tsp smoked paprika
Method
Place peeled and cut potatoes into a large pot and cover with cold water, thyme and salt Boil potatoes until you can cut them with a spoon without resistance Remove from the water and drain well, transfer to a flat tray and allow them to steam out for 10 minutes before putting them in the fridge uncovered to cool completely, ideally overnight When ready to roast, add your ghee and olive oil to a baking tray and heat up in the oven at 200 degrees for 20 minutes before adding the potatoes into the scalding hot fats Mix the spuds well in the hot fat and cook until crisp for roughly 30 minutes at a high heat. Mix and stir occasionally Once hot, crispy and golden brown with some darker edges, remove the excess oil and season the spuds with flakey salt, dried oregano and paprika Serve hot alongside the lamb chops
Nick’s tips
This dish isn’t called Overnight Lamb Chops for nothing; Nick’s recipe usually needs at least eight hours in the oven at 120 degrees, but if you can’t swing it, crank the oven up to 160 degrees and cook for three hours, and you should get a similar result. When buying your chops, Nick says you want to ask your butcher for thick-cut lamb forequarter chops. “If they are too thin, they tend to break down too much,” he says. As for that retsina, this Greek white resinated wine is infused with Aleppo pine resin. It’s known for its flavours of pine, citrus and salinity, but if you can’t get your hands on a retsina like Retsina Of Attiki White Blend from Kourtaki Wines, you can use any dry white wine – just avoid anything too sweet. When it comes to the potatoes, the recipe calls for chipper potatoes, which bring that crisp-outside-fluffy-inside perfection But if they’re too tricky to find, Nick says sebago potatoes are your best alternative.
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