Soutzokakia Smyrneika

By Birgitta

Greek dish, can be served up as an appetizer or made into a main course with some fries or rice pilaf.

Ingredients

• For the Sauce:
• 500 g beef mince
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 2 slices stale bread
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried Greek oregano
• 3 tbsp finely chopped parsley
• 4 tbsp olive oil + extra for shallow frying
• salt and pepper to taste
• all-purpose flour
• 1 onion, grated
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 500 ml tomato juice
• 1 tbsp tomato paste, dilluted in water
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tsp of sweet paprika
• 120 ml dry red wine
• 60 ml olive oil
• 2 knobs unsalted butter
• 1 small cinnamon stick
• pinch of sugar
• salt and pepper to taste

Details

Servings 4
Adapted from kalofagas.blogspot.com

Preparation

Step 1

Soak the bread in a bowl of water and when it's soft, remove the crust. Squeeze it in your hands to remove the excess liquid. Add to another bowl with your ground beef and the other meatball ingredients. Knead the meat mixture with your hands to blend and fry off a small piece to sample and in the end, adjust the seasoning of your Soutzoukakia.

Mould the mixture into little quenelle or oblong hamburgers and dredge lightly in some flour and fry them off in hot oil. Set aside and reserve.
In the same skillet, add the olive oil and butter along with the onions and garlic and saute for a few minutes or until the onions have softened (about 5 minutes). Add the wine and reduce for a couple of minutes and then add the dilluted tomato paste + tomato juice and cinnamon stick and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium an simmer for for about 15 minutes or until thew sauce has thickened.

Carefully add the Soutzoukakia into the sauce and move the pot around in a circular motion to coat and warm the meatballs through. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper (plus sugar if needed).

Serve alone as part of an array of appetizers or for main with rice, noodles or fries.