Prepare for a spicy dish straight from Smyrna! Soutzoukakia is the star here, and it’s all about two key ingredients: aromatic cumin and zesty garlic. They’re the secret behind that unmistakable taste you’ll fall in love with!
The soutzoukakia get a golden fry before they dive into a tangy tomato sauce. That’s the magic touch that keeps them juicy and bursting with flavor. It’s a mouthwatering delight you won’t want to miss!
Soutzoukakia in Tangy Tomato Sauce from Smyrna
Print RecipeIngredients
- 2 lb (1 Kg) minced meat (ideally veal)
- 3 fl oz (80 ml) olive oil
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 2 large slices of bread
- 2 fl oz (60ml) red wine
- Juice of a small lemon
- 10 allspice seeds (or 1.5 tsp ground allspice)
- Black pepper
- Salt
- A pinch of cinnamon
- 5.3 oz (1 ⅛ cup) flour
- Olive oil
- 2 tins of tomatoes
- 1.8 oz (50 gr) tomato purée
- 1 pinch of boukovo (chili flakes)
- 1 large onion
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 pinch of cinnamon
- Olive oil
Instructions
- Remove the crusts from the slices of bread and place them in red wine to soak.
- Peel the three cloves of garlic and puree finely in a blender with the olive oil.
- Knead the garlic mixture with the minced meat, crumbled bread slices, cumin, lemon juice, allspice, pepper, salt and cinnamon. Form small sausages from the mixture and dredge in flour.
- Heat the oil in a pan. The bottom should be well coated with oil. Fry the soutzoukakia in batches until golden brown on all sides.
- Remove from the pan and drain on kitchen paper.
- For the sauce: peel and roughly dice the onion. Heat the olive oil in a pan and fry the onions until golden brown.
- Add the tomato purée to the pan for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes with 300 ml water. Season with cinnamon, bay leaves, boucovo and salt and stir.
- After about 2-3 minutes, add the soutzoukakia to the sauce; they should be lightly covered by the sauce. Simmer over a gentle heat for about 10-15 minutes.
- In the meantime, cook the rice and serve. Mashed potatoes or macaroni are also suitable instead of rice.
