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Traditional northern Greek fysékia: leek cylinders stuffed with ground beef and rice, simmered in tomato and olive oil.
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Fysékia – Northern Greek Stuffed Leeks with Beef and Rice

Fysékia (φυσέκια), or “cartridges,” are a traditional dish from northern Greece named for their cylindrical shape. On a recent visit to Ktima Bellou on Mount Olympus, I cooked this unusual stuffed-leek recipe: sturdy sections of leek are filled with ground beef, short-grain rice, sautéed leeks and onion, thyme and allspice, then simmered in olive oil and a light tomato broth. The name refers to ammunition cartridges, not bullets.
Course main course
Cuisine Greek, Northern Greek
Keyword beef and rice stuffed leeks, fysékia, Greek stuffed leeks, Mount Olympus food, northern Greek recipes, stuffed leeks recipe
PREP TIME 40 minutes
COOK TIME 45 minutes
TIME 1 hour 25 minutes
SERVES 6

Ingredients

Leeks and cooking liquid

  • 1.5 kg about 3 lb 5 oz leeks
  • A few whole allspice berries
  • 1 Tbsp tomato paste dissolved in a little water
  • 250 ml about 1 cup vegetable broth, plus more if needed
  • 150 ml about ⅔ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided between sautéing and pot
  • 1 Tbsp cornstarch mixed with a little cold water (to thicken sauce at end; listed in original instructions)

Filling

  • 250 g about 9 oz ground beef
  • 100 g about ½ cup uncooked short-grain rice (glacé rice)
  • 1 medium white onion finely chopped
  • 200 –250 g about 1½–2 cups, depending on cut finely chopped leek hearts, from the leeks above
  • ½ tsp ground allspice
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 large egg beaten
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • Instructions WP Recipe Maker steps

Instructions

  1. Prepare the leeks. Trim and thoroughly wash the leeks, taking care to remove grit between layers. Cut the mostly white stalks into pieces about 7 cm / 3 inches long. Reserve 200–250 g of the inner leek hearts for the filling and the remaining green portions for lining the pot.
  2. Make leek cylinders. Slit each leek section lengthwise toward its center and gently remove the smaller inner leaves. Keep 2–3 outer layers together as a cylinder for stuffing. Reserve the removed leaves for lining the pot.
  3. Sauté the aromatics. Heat some of the measured olive oil in a skillet. Sauté the chopped leek hearts and then the onion until softened. Remove from heat.
  4. Mix the filling. Add the uncooked rice, dried thyme, ground allspice and raw ground beef to the sautéed vegetables. Season with salt and pepper, mix thoroughly, then stir in the beaten egg.
  5. Stuff the leeks. Spoon filling into each prepared leek cylinder. Use an additional slit leek layer to cover the opening and help keep the filling in place.
  6. Arrange in the pot. Line the bottom of a wide, heavy pot with reserved leek greens and inner leaves. Arrange stuffed leeks snugly in layers. Pour in the remaining olive oil, diluted tomato paste, whole allspice berries and enough broth to come about three-quarters of the way up the leeks, without completely submerging them.
  7. Simmer. Cover the stuffed leeks with leftover leek leaves and place a heat-safe inverted plate over them to hold them in place. Cover the pot and simmer gently over low to medium-low heat for about 45 minutes, until the rice and beef are fully cooked and the leeks are tender. Check liquid occasionally; leeks release their own moisture.
  8. Finish sauce. Remove the plate carefully. Stir the cornstarch slurry into the simmering pot liquid and cook briefly until slightly thickened. Serve warm with some of the sauce.