Spetsofai
Spetsofai
Mario and Chrisanthi Michael are the creators of Greek Time – an online foodie website offering high-quality Greek food that saves you the time and effort of preparation.
Mario’s heritage is Cypriot Greek and Chrisanthi’s is Greek. This much-loved family dish of Spetsofai with Pastourma Sausages fuses both culinary heritages in the most delicious way!
Mario and Chrisanthi’s Spetsofai recipe
A flavour-packed combination of Pastourma sausages, sweet capsicums, onions and tomato.
Ingredients
• 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO), to fry the sausages and extra for drizzling the finished dish
• 3 Greek Pastourma Sausages, cut into 2-3cm lengths
• 1 brown onion, thinly sliced (see video)
• 1 red capsicum, thinly sliced
• 1 yellow capsicum, thinly sliced
• 120 ml semi-sweet red wine (Imiglykos)
• 1 can tomatoes diced, or you can grate your own if tomatoes are fresh
• 1-2 tsp salt
• 1⁄2 - 1 tsp cracked black pepper
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1⁄2 cup water
Instructions
Preparing the spetsofai
o Heat ½ tablespoon EVOO on medium-high in a fry pan or baking dish and add the cut Pastourma Sausages
o Aim to brown the sausages a little on both cut sides
o Remove sausages from the pan and set aside
o Add the onions and the peppers and fry till they brown a little – approximately 20-25 minutes
o Add the wine to deglaze the pan, before adding the canned tomatoes, salt, pepper and oregano
o Pour ½ cup water into the empty can, swish it around to collect any tomato residue and then add this to the pan too
o Reduce the heat to medium and cook till the peppers and onions have softened and the sauce has reduced and thickened (you may need to add a little more water to the pan if the sauce thickens before the peppers have softened)
o Return the cooked Pastourma Sausage pieces to the pan and heat through for 1 – 2 minutes
o Take the pan off the heat and drizzle with some more EVOO
Serving the spetsofai
o Serve with crusty bread and a glass of ouzo or some of the semi-sweet red used in the recipe!
Kali Orexi!
Key Points
• You can oven roast the onions and the peppers for a more caramelized vibe – then transfer them to a pan that has the tomatoes, wine, salt, pepper and oregano simmering in it
• Do not overcook the sausages, as they will release all of their juices and dry out. Just brown them quickly on both sides, set them aside, and then return them to the pan at the very end, to just heat through!
