Cretan dakos (Κρητικός ντάκος)
This is a traditional Cretan salad made with tomatoes, feta, herbs, capers and olives served on top of a barley rusk. This is a very popular vegetarian dish that is perfect for either a light lunch, small dinner or mid-day snack. Cretan rusks with tomatoes and feta is definitely a great summer dish, when the tomatoes are at their peak.
Growing up in a Greek family I was always exposed to seasonal fresh produce, prepared simply. Whether it was a traditional horiatiki (Greek salad), a lovely maroulosalata with a fresh herb dressing, or a Greek potato salad, the fresh flavours were explosive! In this recipe for Greek Cretan dakos, every bite is a delight!
Why I love this Cretan dakos
Oh Crete, how I love you! I have had the great pleasure of visiting this largest and southernmost island of Greece, spending weeks exploring the cities, beaches, gorges and of course, the tavernas and restaurants. Cretan cuisine, like all Greek cooking, is based on fresh, local ingredients. The regional specialties often showcase food items you can only find there. Fortunately however, much of what is loved and devoured in Crete can be replicated off the island, and this dakos salad is a perfect example of that.
Cretan dakos is often served as a salad, a light meal, or as part of an array of mezedes. Its basis is a Cretan dry barley rusk (called paximadia in Greek); think of it as a large, super hard crouton. The rusk is typically topped with the best tomatoes you can find, olive oil, capers, olives, and cheese…all sorts of healthy deliciousness. The rusk is made of whole grain barley. It is low in fat and very high in fiber. These rusks must absolutely be softened before eating them but the fact that they are so dry means that they keep well for a long time, in theory; mine never last long enough for this to be a concern.
Key ingredients
Barley rusks Greek barley rusks are very popular in Crete. They are double baked breads which are made with barley flour, and sometimes whole what flour. When I find them in a Mediterranean grocery store I stock up, knowing that they keep well for a very long time.
Tomatoes Fresh vine ripened or garden tomatoes make all the difference here. So good!
Red onion I love to use red onion in recipes such as this one because the raw red onion has a mild but obvious flavour that goes so well with the tomatoes and the rest of the ingredients.
Basil So fragrant! Adding a little bit of fresh basil to the dakos is really a lovely addition.
Olives I use Kalamata olives that I chop up after removing the pit. These olives are briny, meaty and so delicious.
Capers These are small pickled flower buds which have a briny and salty flavour.
Feta I only use Greek feta because the flavour and texture is absolutely unbeatable. I have accumulated all sorts of feta facts that you might find helpful when picking the perfect cheese.
Olive oil Only the best for Cretan dakos, which is why I use pure Greek olive oil.
Greek oregano Dry Greek oregano has a very strong and beautiful flavour and fragrance. A little goes a long way in most recipes, but don’t be shy to sprinkle It on liberally – it makes everything better.
How to make it
The first step to making Cretan dakos is softening the barley rusk. I love using grated tomato for this—it adds so much flavour while giving the rusk the perfect texture. I also like to break the rusk into chunky pieces before topping it. It makes dakos so much easier (and less messy!) to eat.
Step 1
Cut one tomato in half and grate it into a bowl, discarding the skin as you go. I usually use two small to medium tomatoes to get plenty of juicy grated tomato. Dice a third small tomato and add it to the bowl. Drizzle in about ½ tablespoon of olive oil, season with salt to taste, and sprinkle in some dried oregano. Give everything a good stir to combine.
Step 2
Slowly spoon the tomato mixture over the barley rusk, making sure to cover the entire surface (or all of the chopped rusk pieces) so they soften evenly.
Step 3
Top with the chopped red onion, capers, olives, and crumbled feta. Finish with another drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of dried oregano, and a few fresh basil leaves, if using.
Step 4
I then let my Cretan dakos sit for about 5-10 minutes for all the flavours to combine, and enjoy!
Helpful hints
Soften the rusks
The dry barley rusks used to prepare Cretan dakos are typically quite hard, like be-careful-you-don’t-break-your-teeth hard. So, before eating them, they really do need to be softened up. Most recipes suggest quickly running the dry barley rusk under water to allow it to soften. Although this obviously works, my method is to soften the rusk with the juices from a grated ripe tomato; much more delicious than water.
Choose your cheese
In Crete, dakos salad is usually made with Cretan mizithra or anthotiro, a soft fresh cheese which has a slightly sweet taste and a creamy texture which melts in your mouth. I have a hard time finding this cheese in Canada, so I make my Cretan dakos with feta. Different, but still amazing!
Frequently asked questions
What is the best way to soften the barley rusks?
Barley rusks tend to be quite hard, although those made with olive oil tend to be a little easier to break or even bite into. Regardless, when you make dakos you want your rusks to be soft enough to eat without breaking a tooth! They should still have the texture of a crouton however – you don’t want it to be too soft.
Most people soften their rusks by running them under warm water, or dipping them into a bowl of warm water. I prefer to use freshly grated tomato – the juices of the tomato act to soften the barley rusk, while imparting delicious tomato flavour!
Do I peel the tomatoes or leave the peel on?
I tend to leave my tomatoes unpeeled, especially when they are fresh and from the garden. If you prefer to peel your tomatoes you can use a sharp paring knife to do so. Make a slit in the top of the tomato, and peel the skin back. In either case, before using, wash your tomatoes well.
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Related recipes
I love summer tomatoes so much that I use them in so many different recipes. If you like Cretan dakos, I think you will also enjoy these recipes that star tomatoes!
Tomato fritters (Ντοματοκεφτέδες)
How to serve
Cretan dakos is best served soon after it is assembled, although it can definitely stay at room temperature, prepared, for an hour or so. I would wait to add the cheese until right before serving.
I don’t usually serve Cretan dakos with anything else, although if you do want it to be a starter or side to a larger meal, Greek marinated chicken thighs or Pork souvlaki would really go very well!
Serving size
This recipe makes one serving – it can easily be doubled or tripled to serve more people.
Cretan dakos (Κρητικός ντάκος)
Ingredients
- 1-2 Cretan dry barley rusk you can leave whole, or chop it into thick pieces.
- 2-3 Ripe tomatoes small to medium size
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt, to taste
- 2 tsps Chopped red onion
- 2 tsps Capers
- 2 Kalamata olives, pitted, and chopped
- 2 tbsp Crumbled feta
- 1 Fresh basil leaf, chopped
Instructions
- Place the rusk(s) in a bowl or plate. You can leave it whole, or chop it up into thick pieces.
- Cut one tomato in half and grate it into a bowl, discarding the skin as you go. We usually use two small to medium tomatoes to get plenty of juicy grated tomato.
- Dice a third small tomato and add it to the bowl. Drizzle in about ½ tablespoon of olive oil, season with salt to taste, and sprinkle in some dried oregano. Give everything a good stir to combine.
- Slowly spoon the tomato mixture over the barley rusk, making sure to cover the entire surface (or all of the chopped rusk pieces) so they soften evenly.
- Top with the chopped red onion, capers, olives, and crumbled feta. Finish with another drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of dried oregano, and a few fresh basil leaves, if using.
- We then let our Cretan dakos sit for about 5-10 minutes for all the flavours to combine, and enjoy!
Just back from 2 weeks in Crete, and the food is amazing! I love dakos and this recipe is so simple and so good! Dreaming of dakos in a seaside taverna right now…..
Oh amazing!! Isn’t it just an amazing island? We can’t help you with the seaside view, but we think this recipe will transport you back there 🙂
Love making dakos! When I lived in Greece we used Katiki which we cannot obviously find here so our version is to top the dakos with a mixture of thick Greek yogurt and feta cheese. It’s creamy with a touch of salty.
Oh that’s a great idea about the Greek yogourt and feta cheese! We will definitely give that a try! Thanks Kathy 🙂
Dakos is one of those traditional foods in Crete that is fairly unique to the island. What really makes this taste delicious is choosing the ripest tomatoes possible!
Absolutely Nick! The ripest tomatoes are essential. 🙂
I ate this for breakfast almost every morning in Crete and is was fantastic! So delicious. Thank you for bringing me back to that trip. I have some dakos paximadia in my pantry and will make this tonight.
What a great way to start the day Denise!! And you’re welcome! Hope you enjoyed your dakos 🙂
Loved this recipe, it took me right back to a restaurant in Elounda
Yay! We are so happy to hear that Hayley! Hope you continue to find much to love here with us 🙂 xoxo Helen & Billie