Spetsofai (σπετζοφάϊ), an unusual word to pronounce, but a very hearty and tasty dish to eat.
Simply put, the dish is sausages (loukanika), peppers and eggplant in a rich tomato sauce. Spetsofai traditionally hails from the Pelion region of Thessaly.
Today, I share a recipe from my yiayia's (grandmother) cookbook, which is easy to follow and takes under 30 minutes to make.
My recommendation is to also serve it with feta and some crusty bread to mop up the delicious and tangy sauce.
Ingredients
6 sausages (loukanika), cut into bite sizes
3 capsicums, cut into strips
1 red onion, finely sliced
1 eggplant, cut into squares
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
400g tomatoes, finely chopped
1 cup water
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/4 cup olive oil
1 pinch oregano, dried
1 bay leaf
1 pinch smoked paprika (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
Method
Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Sauté the sausages until cooked and browned, then take them out of the pan and set aside.
Using the same pan add a little bit more olive oil and add the capsicums, onion, eggplant and tomato paste. Cook, stirring gently, until the vegetables begin to soften.
Add the tomatoes, cup of water, herbs and spices, and salt and pepper to taste. Reduce the heat and allow to simmer for 25-30 minutes with the lid on.
Transfer the sausages back to the pan, give everything a good stir and allow it to simmer until the sauce thickens.
Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes.
Your Spetzofai is now ready to be eaten. Serve with bread. Enjoy!