Name: Meat rissoles with green olives
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: 15 ml/1 tbsp tomato paste diluted in 150 ml/¼ pint/⅔ cup hot water; 2–3 medium slices of bread, crusts removed; 45 ml/3 tbsp sunflower oil; 675 g/1½ lb/3⅓ cups minced/ground lamb or beef; 1 egg, lightly beaten; 2.5 ml/½ tsp dried oregano; 15 ml/1 tbsp ground cumin; 2 garlic cloves, crushed; salt and ground black pepper; 25 g/1 oz/¼ cup plain/all-purpose flour; 12–16 green olives, rinsed and drained; 400 g/14 oz canned chopped tomatoes; 1 onion, coarsely grated; 5 ml/1 tsp cumin seeds; 45 ml/3 tbsp olive oil

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

The Food & Cooking of Greece

By Rena Salaman

Published 2023

About

This delicious dish, soutzoukakia me elies, probably originated with the Greeks who came from Asia Minor after the catastrophic war with Turkey in 1922. It is ideal for entertaining, as it can be cooked in advance and reheated as needed. Serve the rissoles with plain rice, French fries or pasta.

Ingredients

2–3 medium slices of bread, crusts removed
675 g/1½ lb/

Method

Soak the bread in some cold water for 10 minutes, then drain, squeeze it dry and place it in a large bowl. Add the meat, onion, garlic, cumin and egg. Season with salt and pepper, then mix either with a fork or with your hands, until blended.