serves 6
Chickpeas, one of the most ancient pulses in Greece, are an important staple food in several of the Cyclades and Dodecanese islands. There are many recipes for chickpea soups and stews, for chickpea fritters, and for these mock sausages, a local adaptation of the classic soutzoukakia Smyrneika, a luscious mixture of ground meat and cumin shaped into small sausages that are part of the cooking traditions of the Anatolian Greeks.
There is one secret here: You must use soaked dried chickpeas for the best result. Think falafel. You want the chickpea sausages to be crispy and not at all pasty, which means you need to use dried chickpeas that have been soaked; their starch content will still be intact, which will help retain the shape of the mock sausages, as opposed to cooked or canned chickpeas, in which the starch has been boiled out, requiring the addition of flour. Note that the chickpeas need to soak overnight, so plan ahead.
1 pound (450 g) dried chickpeas, picked over for debris and rinsed
2 teaspoons ground cumin, plus a pinch
4 large red onions, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup (50 g) finely chopped fresh parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1½ cups (190 g) all-purpose flour, for dredging, plus more for dusting
⅔ cup (160 ml) extra-virgin Greek olive oil
3 cups (720 ml) crushed or chopped canned tomatoes
1 bay leaf
½ cup (120 ml) white wine
Olive or other oil, for frying
Put the chickpeas in a large bowl, add cold water to cover, and set aside at room temperature to soak overnight or in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Drain and rinse the chickpeas.
Transfer one-third of the chickpeas to the bowl of a food processor. Add one-third each of the cumin, onions, and garlic. Pulse until the mixture is mealy. Add one-third of the parsley and pulse to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper and pulse to combine. Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Repeat in two batches with the remaining chickpeas, cumin, onions, garlic, and parsley, seasoning each batch with salt and pepper before transferring to the bowl.
Lightly dust a baking sheet with flour. Take a heaping tablespoon of the chickpea mixture and shape it into an oblong little sausage. Place it on the baking sheet and repeat with the remaining chickpea mixture. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours to firm up a little.
While the sausages are in the fridge, in a large wide pot, heat the olive oil and tomatoes together over medium heat. Season with the pinch of cumin and salt and pepper to taste. Add the bay leaf. Add the wine and 1 cup (240 ml) water and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside, covered to keep warm.
In a large deep skillet, heat ½ inch (1.25 cm) olive or other oil over medium-high heat. Spread the flour over a plate or platter. Dredge the chickpea sausages lightly in the flour, shaking off the excess. Working in batches, fry the sausages in the hot oil until golden brown and crisp on all sides. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
Add the chickpea sausages to the pan with the tomato sauce, arranging them in one or two layers. Add enough water to come about two-thirds of the way up the contents of the pan. Cover and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Simmer for 30 minutes, or until the sausages are tender and the sauce is thick. Remove the bay leaf.
Remove from the heat and serve hot.
