Greek
Gluten free
SpicySpetzofai
Sausage and pepper stew
Spetzofaï: Pelion country sausages stewed with peppers, tomato and paprika
Spetzofai is the dish shepherds in the Pelion mountains near Volos cooked over the fire: spicy village pork sausages sliced and stewed with long green and red peppers in a thick tomato sauce. Now it's on every tsipouro-bar menu in Volos, served sizzling in a clay dish with bread and feta. Use coarse pork sausages with leek or orange peel if you can find them. Common mistake: cooking the peppers to mush — they should be soft but still hold their shape. Chef's tip: brown the sausage slices hard first; the fat they leave flavours the peppers.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Serves
- 4
- Per serving
- 520 kcal
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ lb coarse pork sausagesgluten-free if needed, cut into 2 cm slices
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onionsliced
- 4 long green pepperscut into 3 cm pieces
- 2 red pepperscut into strips
- 3 cloves garlicsliced
- 1 tsp smoked or hot paprika
- 14 oz chopped tomatoes
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp salt
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Heat 4 tbsp olive oil in a wide pan over a medium-high heat and brown 1 ⅓ lb coarse pork sausages on both sides until well coloured. Lift out, leaving the fat.
8 minStep 2: Add 1 onion, 4 long green peppers and 2 red peppers and cook over a medium heat, stirring, until softened and lightly blistered.
10 minStep 3: Stir in 3 cloves garlic and 1 tsp smoked or hot paprika for 30 seconds, then add 14 oz chopped tomatoes, 1 tsp dried oregano and ½ tsp salt.
1 minStep 4: Return the sausages, cover partly and simmer until the sauce is thick and the sausages are cooked through, reaching 160°F in the centre with no pink.
20 minStep 5: Serve hot from the pan with bread and feta.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 22 g
- Carbs
- 15 g
- Fat
- 42 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does spetzofai take?
- About 55 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of red peppers?
- Any colour of bell pepper, same amount.
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