Grilled Loukaniko with Orange

Grilled Loukaniko with Orange

Recipes with Loukaniko

The traditional way to serve loukaniko on the Peloponnese: grilled over charcoal, then sliced and finished with fresh orange juice squeezed directly over the hot sausage. The citrus in the marinade answers the orange peel already inside the casing. A few minutes of prep, all the cooking on the grill.

Prep Time

10 min

Cook Time

15 min

Servings

4

Difficulty

Easy

Ingredients

  • 6 loukaniko links (about 600g)
  • 2 oranges: 1 for juice, 1 sliced into rounds for grilling
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
  • 2 garlic cloves, grated
  • Black pepper
  • Crusty bread and tzatziki for serving

Steps

1

Combine the olive oil, grated garlic, thyme, and a few grinds of black pepper in a bowl. Add the loukaniko links and toss to coat. Leave to marinate for at least 30 minutes at room temperature, or up to 4 hours in the fridge.

2

Prepare a charcoal grill to medium-high heat. Or heat a grill pan until very hot.

3

Grill the loukaniko, turning every 3 minutes, for 12-15 minutes total until the skin blisters and splits in places with visible char marks. At the same time, grill the orange slices for 2 minutes per side until caramelized.

4

Transfer the sausages to a wooden board. Rest for 2 minutes.

5

Squeeze the juice of one orange directly over the hot loukaniko. Slice each link diagonally into 4-5 pieces. Arrange with the grilled orange rounds and serve with bread and tzatziki.

Tips

Do not skip the resting step. Cutting immediately lets all the juices run out onto the board instead of staying in the meat. The orange juice over hot sausage sizzles and smells very good. Use a navel orange, not a blood orange, for the squeeze.