This recipe is inspired by a booklet I was reading that covered various Spanish Tapas ideas. The dish jumped out at me immediately and I had all of the ingredients save for the Chorizo.

I used Macedonian sausage. Greeks love their sausage but allegiances as to what type they like are very regional. In the south (Sparta), the Greeks enjoy a pork sausage with orange peel in it and they tend to shy away from anything spicy.

Head north to the provinces of Thessaly & Macedonia and you will find predominantly the Hot Pepper& Leek variety. A Greek butcher will often carry (make) both types of sausage. Being biased, I prefer the Macedonian one.

In creating this meze, I used ingredients that are found in the western mountains of Macedonia and in particular, Kastoria & Florina. Wild thyme grows in the mountains, grapes are cultivated for some of Greece’s best wines, oregano grows all over Greece and wild mushrooms can be found in it’s hilly forests soon after a rainfall.

Macedonian Sausages With Mushrooms

1/4 cup olive oil
2 Macedonian sausages, cut into 1/2 in. pieces
1 small onion, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp of dried oregano
1 tsp of fresh thyme
1 large handful of cremini or button mushrooms, stems removed
1/4 cup good dry white wine
1/3 cup chopped parsley
sprinkle of hot chili flakes
squeeze of lemon juice
Bread for “mopping up”

1. Heat your oil in a large heavy frying pan, add the sausage and cook over medium high heat until the sausages are browned. Add your onions & garlic and salt and cook, stirring occasionally over low-medium heat for 5-10 minutes or until the onions are soft.
2. Add herbs, white wine and mushrooms and stir to incorporate and allow to simmer for 5-10 minutes or until mushrooms are tender.
3. Add parsley, chili flakes and a squeeze of lemon juice and serve with crusty bread.