Savory pie with Spetzofai

Spetzofai is a traditional dish of central Greece. It is made of fried sausages with red sweet peppers, lots of onions and tomato. Very delicious!

Today me and Stratis were thinking what to cook for dinner. Stratis came up with an idea of a savory pie so I was googling around a bit to find a new recipe. The usual spinach an feta cheese pie is of course wonderful but sometimes you really want something different. When we saw a spetzofai pie, we both got excited. Normally, the stuffing is served separately, as a main course, so combining it in a pie was a rather interesting variation. I thought I might give it a try and it was very good! A bit spicy but really really good!

INGREDIENTS:

For the dough:

200 gr flour

100 gr cold butter, cut in cubes

1 egg

1 pinch safran

1/2 tsp salt

For the Spetzofai:

2 Greek "choriatiko" sausages, cut in 1 cm thick pieces (you could use bratwurst or something similar instead)

300 gr Pancetta, cut in thin stripes

3 tbsp olive oil

2 large red onions, sliced

2 red horn peppers, seeded and sliced

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tsp chilly flakes

2 tbsp tomato puree

1/2 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

1/2 cup spring onions, chopped

1/2 cup dry red wine

salt to taste

1. First prepare the dough. Sieve the flour with the salt, add the cubes of butter and work with your hands. You should get "sand-looking" mix. Add the remaining ingredients, mix well and work with your hands until the dough is smooth. Place in a bowl, cover with a kitchen towel and place in the fridge.

2. Prepare the Spetzofai. In a large pan hit the oil. Add the pieces of sausage and pancetta and brown over a strong heat.

3. Add sliced peppers, onions, garlic, tomato puree and chilly flakes, cover and cook until the vegetables are soft. Add the wine, parsley, spring onions, season to taste and set aside.

4. Take 2/3 of the dough and roll out a sheet big enough to cover a baking tray about 25cm in diameter. Place the sheet on the tray, fold all the stuffing on top of it and spread evenly. From the remaining dough roll out another sheet, place it on top of the stuffing and with your fingers or a fork seal the edges. Brush with some oil and bake in a preheated oven at 200°C for about 30 minutes or until the pie is golden brown.