Sausages Smyrna-Style

Sausages
500 g lean beef, minced
2 slices bread, crusts removed, soaked in water, and squeezed dry
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh parsley
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 to 1 ½ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Vegetable oil

Sauce
60 g butter, melted
500 g fresh tomatoes, skinned, or canned tomatoes, drained
1 teaspoon sugar
1 garlic clove, crushed
4 tablespoons white whine
1 small bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground pepper

To make the sauce, combine the melted butter, tomatoes, sugar, garlic, wine and bay leaf in a saucepan with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 30 minutes, then strain through a fine sieve or food mill. Return the sauce to the pan.

Meanwhile, combine the remaining ingredients in a large bowl and knead thoroughly. The mixture should not be stiff. Pinch off pieces a little larger than a walnut and mould with your hands into elongated egg shapes about 2.5 by 7.5 cm. Either fry them lightly on all sides in hot oil and then drain on paper towels, or arrange them in an oiled baking dish and bake in an oven at 190º C for 20 minutes, turning them once. Drop the sausages in the sauce and simmer for 15 minutes.