Sougania (Kremmydodolmades)

Sogania or sougania or kremmydolmades (stuffed onions) are one of the most popular ouzo mezedes and it is found in many traditional tavernas in Lesvos. “Sogan” in Turkish means onion. Sogania are “dolmades” (wraps) stuffed with beef chopped meat, rice, garlic, tomato paste, fresh tomato, parsley, spices and cumin.

 

INGREDIENTS

8 onions, oval shaped

 

The filling:

2 onions finely chopped

½ kg. beef chopped meat

1 ½ cup of Carolina rice

1 ripe tomato

2 tbs. parsley

1 tsp. cumin

1 cup olive oil

 

For the egg and lemon mix:

2 eggs

1 large lemon

1 tsp. corn starch

 

PREPARATION

Step 1

Peel the onions and cut them lengthwise halfway through.

Step 2

Boil the onion in salt water for 10 to 15 minutes until the onion scales slightly split apart and may be separated.

Step 3

Remove them from the boiling water and let them cool.

Step 4

When cool, separate the onion scales (the number of scales yield as many dolmades).

Step 5

Mix in a bowl all filing ingredients: onions, minced meat, rice, grated tomato, parsley, cumin and half the olive oil. Knead them well into a mix.

Step 6

Stuff each onion scale with the filling and wrap it tight.

Step 7

Place the sougania with the joint looking up in a pot as tightly together as possible.

Step 8

Add on top of the dolmades the boiled onion cores, pour the remaining olive oil and cover all these with a plate turned upside down to help keep them from moving about during the boiling.

Step 9

Cover the sougania with hot water. As soon as it reaches a boiling temperature lower the flame and let simmer for 30 minutes. Turn off the flame.

 

For the egg and lemon mix:

Step 1

Dilute the corn starch in the lemon juice.

Step 2

Beat the eggs with an egg beater.

Step 3

Add the lemon juice-corn starch mix and slowly dilute it with the sougania fluid from the pot.

Step 4

Add to sougania and let it over a low flame for 2-3 minutes.