{"product_id":"greek-soutzoukakia-ready-meal-350g","title":"Greek Soutzoukakia with Orzo - Fresh, Never Frozen (350g)","description":"\u003ch2\u003eMeatballs and orzo in one tray, the way a Thessaloniki kitchen sends them out\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSoutzoukakia\u003c\/strong\u003e are the Greek meatballs shaped long rather than round, simmered in tomato instead of fried dry, and served over \u003cem\u003ekritharaki\u003c\/em\u003e, the rice-shaped durum wheat pasta the rest of Europe knows as orzo. Amvrosia makes this version in Sindos, outside Thessaloniki, and chills it rather than freezing it. Half the tray is boiled orzo and 28% is meatballs, which puts just under 20% minced meat of EU origin in the finished dish: 80% pork and 20% beef. Tomato, onion, a spice blend and 3,5% extra virgin olive oil do the rest.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe meatballs are soft rather than firm, because they carry wheat rusk and finish their cooking in the sauce instead of being seared. The orzo underneath cooks in the tomato and takes its colour from it, which is also what keeps it from drying out when the tray is reheated. The flavour is plain in the Greek domestic sense, warm and without a sharp edge, the sort of thing eaten on a weeknight rather than ordered in a restaurant. One thing is worth knowing before you open it: this is a pasta dish with meatballs on top, and the orzo is half of it by recipe.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA 350g tray carries \u003cstrong\u003e42g of protein and 777 kcal\u003c\/strong\u003e, which puts it among full main courses rather than light lunches. It also has the shortest ingredient list of the ready meals in this range: nine items, no additives, no colourings, no modified starch. The dish itself reached Greece with the refugees from Smyrna in the 1920s, most of whom settled in and around Thessaloniki, which is where it is still made.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eNo preservatives, and chilled rather than frozen: how that works\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFresh food ordered online raises the same question every time, which is how it keeps without either a freezer or a preservative. The answer here is the packaging rather than the recipe. The tray is sealed in a protective atmosphere, and that is what keeps the dish while nothing is added to it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNo preservatives\u003c\/strong\u003e in the recipe. Nine ingredients, and the list printed on the tray is the whole story.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKeep refrigerated below +7°C, and once opened, eat within 24 hours.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cem\u003eNever frozen\u003c\/em\u003e at any point, which is why the orzo keeps its bite instead of arriving soft. The use-by date is printed on the tray.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHow to use it\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOven, 180°C for 13 to 15 minutes\u003c\/strong\u003e once preheated. Pierce the film in two spots first; remove it before serving.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMicrowave, 3 to 4 minutes at 800W\u003c\/strong\u003e, same piercing step. Keep the tray clear of the oven element and the grill.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA weeknight main on its own, straight from the tray onto a warm plate.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWith a green salad and \u003cem\u003ea piece of feta\u003c\/em\u003e, which is how it is eaten in Greece rather than with bread.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Amvrosia","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":37195028299938,"sku":"GF5141","price":10.75,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0441\/7683\/4722\/products\/traditional-soutzoukakia-350g-963989.jpg?v=1741708019","url":"https:\/\/www.greekflavours.com\/en-ie\/products\/greek-soutzoukakia-ready-meal-350g","provider":"Greek Flavours","version":"1.0","type":"link"}