In Crete you get the best of both worlds: it only takes a short drive to go from silky blue seas to wild green mountains. As much as I love the sea and everything about it, I also love the mountains. And the thing I like most is driving towards them: everything changes so fast that it feels as though you have entered a different world.

The air becomes cooler, the trees become taller and older, and the roads begin to turn and twist and embrace the boulders. You inhale the fresh air and with it the incredible smells of the wild herbs and medicinal teas. Wherever you look you are surrounded by beauty – wild flowers, dramatic scenery – and, now and then, the sound of water cascading through the rocks. Drinking water straight from the spring takes your breath away.

The best thing about mountain food is the quality of ingredients: people are free to pick the wild greens and herbs that grow all around them, and the animals are free to roam and eat all the delicious foods that nature offers – which shows in the flavour of their meat. Eating in the mountains usually means a lot of meat.

There are small, family-run tavernas even in the smallest villages where everyone does their bit, from grandmothers to grandchildren. My old childhood friend opened a restaurant with her family in the mountain village of Therisso. It was a wise decision, as her father was a butcher in the city and reared all his own animals in the village. So he retired from his job and became the restaurant’s cook. Every time I enter their kitchen, I get the same feeling of happiness. It’s a large, rectangular space with a charcoal grill on one side, full of lamb cutlets and a thick cloud of smoke. Homemade pork sausages hang from every available spot – their recipe is a family secret. Everything is freshly prepared.

When I visit, Dad Manolis is there cooking every piece of meat that goes out. He is tall, well-built, with a big moustache and wears a traditional, black Cretan shirt. He smiles proudly. Next to him is his wife cooking rabbit and mutton in big pots. She is in charge of the more delicate preparations, such as mouth-watering staka – a buttery delicacy made from the top fatty layer of goat’s milk and cooked with a touch of flour and salt. It’s a dish that puts a smile on everyone’s face.

She also makes the filo pastry. In a large bowl, she mixes flour with lots of olive oil and water, then adds a bit of salt and a shot of raki (that’s the secret, she says). Her strong hands turn the ingredients into the softest, glossiest dough I have ever seen. She rests it for a while and then, with rapid movements, she opens it into a large sheet that looks perfect every time. She stuffs it with wild greens and herbs, and sometimes adds fresh goat’s cheese. As soon as the little half-moon parcels are sealed, they go into the frying pan. The aromas escape the kitchen and everyone wants a portion. I have mine standing in the kitchen.

Wild birds are another treat in Cretan mountain cuisine. When it’s the right time of year, the men go out hunting and often come back with a variety of small birds including, with luck, some quail. Preparing these has never been something I’ve enjoyed, however I am intrigued when I watch the process. I certainly love eating them, and using cutlery is not an option: the only way to enjoy them is by using your fingers and tucking in to get every bit of the delicious meat off the bones. Thrown on the charcoal or fried in olive oil with lots of red wine, they are irresistible. I love intensifying quail with some mature graviera (sheep’s cheese), which adds a savouriness I think the Cretan mountain cooks would approve of.

Cretan filo pies with mutton and wild greens

Serves 4

For the filo pastry
400g flour, plus extra for rolling
100ml olive oil
1 tsp salt
A shot of raki or grappa, or 1 tsp white wine vinegar
Tepid water

For the filling
2 tbsp olive oil
1 white onion, chopped
200g mutton, cut into 2cm pieces
Salt and black pepper
100ml white wine
500g wild greens (such as wild fennel or purslane, or a mixture of spinach and chard works well too), finely chopped
2 tbsp dill, chopped
Olive oil or good vegetable oil, for frying
100g Greek yoghurt, to serve

1 First make the filo pastry. Put the flour in a bowl and add the olive oil, salt and raki. Make a well in the centre and start adding water a little at a time. Knead the mix until you have a soft, silky, elastic dough. It doesn’t need a lot of kneading, so stop as soon as the right texture is achieved. Put a damp cloth over the dough and let it sit for at least 30 minutes.

2 Put a small pan over a medium heat and add the olive oil together with the onion and mutton. Season well with salt and pepper. Brown the mutton on all sides, add the wine and enough water to just cover the meat. Cover and cook gently until tender, about 20-30 minutes. Remove from the pan and shred the meat into a bowl. Add the chopped wild greens and dill to the bowl, season with salt and pepper and mix well.

3 On a floured work surface, roll the pastry out as thinly as you can without breaking it. The thinner you get it, the lighter your pastries will be. Use a small plate, around 10cm in diameter, to cut out discs and dust them with flour to stop them sticking. Take a tablespoon of the filling and put it in the centre of the disc. Close the disc to create a half-moon shape. Press gently to flatten the shape. Use the edge of a fork to seal the edges.

4 Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium flame. When hot, add the pastries and cook gently on both sides until golden. Remove from the pan and put on kitchen towel to absorb any excess oil. Serve immediately with some Greek yoghurt on the side.

Grilled quail with aubergine and graviera

Serves 4
4 quail, spatchcocked
1 tsp each of salt and black pepper
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp juniper berries, crushed
4 tbsp grape molasses
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small head garlic
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1 tbsp fresh lemon thyme, chopped
3 bay leaves
200g tomatoes, finely chopped
2 round aubergines, cut into medium cubes and tossed with 1 tsp salt
1 tbsp sweet white wine vinegar
2 tbsp graviera (or another mature sheep’s milk cheese), grated
100ml milk
2 tbsp fresh mint, chopped

1 Marinate the quail with the salt, pepper, cinnamon, juniper berries and molasses, and put in the fridge.

2 Heat the olive oil in a small pan and add the garlic, rosemary, thyme and bay leaves. When the garlic is golden, add the tomatoes and cook for another 5 minutes.

3 Add the aubergines and season. Cover and cook gently until soft – about 20-25 minutes. Add the vinegar and cook for a couple more minutes. Add the graviera and milk, and stir well until the cheese has melted. Remove from the heat and stir in the mint.

4 Charcoal-grill the birds for about 4-5 minutes on each side, or more if you like the meat more cooked. If you don’t have a charcoal grill, brown the birds in a pan with a little olive oil and finish in a hot oven (200C/400F/gas mark 6).

5 To serve, reheat the aubergines, arrange on a plate with the quail on top.

• Marianna Leivaditaki is head chef at London mezze restaurant Morito; @moritotapasI