SOUTZOUKAKIA ME ELIES (GREEK MEATBALLS WITH OLIVES IN TOMATO SAUCE)
Ingredients
For the meatballs (should yield approx. 30 meatballs):
500g finely minced meat (preferably a mix of 250g lamb and 250g beef or veal)
1 large onion, grated or finely chopped
1 tbsp Odysea Aged Corinthian vinegar
250g Odysea Green Cracked Olives
100g bread (soaked in water and then squeezed dry)
1 medium egg
1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
1 tsp oregano
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
For the sauce:
500g lightly concentrated tomato sauce
1 glass white wine
1 tsp sugar
2 cloves garlic, crushed (optional)
½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Excellent served with rice, pasta or potatoes
Instructions
- Put the onion, bread, egg, salt, pepper, cumin parsley vinegar and oregano in a food processor and blend well.
- Place the mixture in a bowl, add the minced meat and mix together with your hands.
- Take approx 1tbsp of the mixture and form it into an oval shape meatball, continue until all the mixture has been used.
- Oil a flat oven-proof dish or deep baking tray and place the meatballs side by side in one layer.
- Bake in the middle of a very hot, pre-heated oven (200°C) for 20 minutes until the tops become brown. Remove and pour the wine over them. Return to the oven while you prepare the tomato sauce.
- In a large jug, mix together the tomato sauce, sugar, salt, olive oil, olives and garlic (optional).
- Remove the meatballs and pour tomato and olive sauce mix over them.
- Return to the oven and bake until the sauce begins to bubble (about 5 minutes) then reduce the temperature to 180°C and cook for a further 20 minutes.