Breakdown of Ψήνουμε στη γάστρα ώσπου να γίνει τραγανή η κόρα.
σε
in
γίνομαι
to become
ψήνω
to bake
τραγανός
crispy
Questions & Answers about Ψήνουμε στη γάστρα ώσπου να γίνει τραγανή η κόρα.
Why is Ψήνουμε in the first person plural? Recipes in English usually use the imperative.
Ψήνουμε is the present tense, first person plural, of ψήνω.
In Greek recipes, this form is very common and works like instructional language: we bake / we cook. It does not have to mean a literal we. English often prefers the imperative (Bake...), but Greek very often uses first person plural for recipe steps.
Also, the object is omitted here. Greek can leave out what is being baked if the context already makes it clear.
What exactly is στη?
στη is the contracted form of σε τη.
- σε = in, at, to, on
- τη = the, feminine singular accusative
So στη γάστρα literally means in the roasting dish / in the Dutch oven / in the baking vessel.
This contraction is extremely common in Modern Greek:
- στο = σε το
- στη = σε τη
- στον = σε τον
Why is it τη γάστρα after σε? I would expect a location to use a different case.