Her first night after arriving, Letty is served some local dishes, as her host, an eminent archeologist, is also a proponent of all things Cretan. Their fare includes horta, and fried fish with Skordalia. His starter, which turns out to be a test of Letty's nerves, is a "chalky white mound of animal tissue folded in tightly curling waves and sitting in the middle of her plate...This culinary delicacy was surrounded by a moat of reddish-brown fluid..." lamb's brains, just to see how she'd react.
I was not tempted to reproduce that particular dish, but the horta and skordalia piqued my interest. Skordalia is a sauce (or dip) often served with fried, battered fish. I wanted to try that.
When I visited Crete several years ago, it was during the off-season, and many restaurants were closed. Nevertheless, I do remember enjoying all of my meals. Complementary raki everywhere may have helped. No one served me lamb's brains.
