Spiced meatballs in tomato sauce (Soutzoukakia)

1. Remove the crusts from the bread, soak it in water, squeeze it out and knead it thoroughly with the minced beef, red wine, crushed garlic, cumin, egg, salt and pepper.

2. With wet hands, shape the mixture into cylinders about 8 cm long and roll them lightly in flour.

3. Brown the meatballs on all sides in half the oil in a frying pan (they don't need to cook through), then lift them out.

4. In the same pan, fry the tomato purée in the remaining oil, add the grated or chopped tomatoes, cinnamon stick, bay leaf and sugar, and simmer for 10 minutes.

5. Lay the meatballs in the sauce, cover and cook gently for 25 minutes until the sauce thickens and the meatballs are cooked through.

6. Remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaf and serve the soutzoukakia with rice or roast potatoes.

Tip: Soutzoukakia became popular with the Greek refugees from Smyrna in Asia Minor, hence the cumin and cinnamon. You can also pre-brown the meatballs in the oven at 200 °C – that way you need less oil.