Spicy Meatballs Recipe. These spicy meatballs are sure to get everyone running for the dinner table at your next family meal.
Serves 4
For the meatballs:
500 g (1 lb 2 oz) mixed minced meat
1 small red onion
1 garlic clove
1 red chilli
2 eggs
50 g (¾ cup) breadcrumbs
Zest of 1 lime, grated
2 tablespoons freshly
grated parmesan
Salt, freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
For the tomato sauce:
2 French shallots
1 garlic clove
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon tomato paste (concentrated purée)
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Sugar
400 g (14 oz) diced tomatoes (from a tin)
400 g (14 oz) tomato passata (puréed tomatoes)
Chilli flakes to taste
1 dash freshly squeezed lime juice
Salt, freshly ground pepper
Also:
Fresh oregano for garnish
To prepare the meatballs, place the minced meat into a mixing bowl. Peel and finely mince the garlic and onion. Wash and deseed the chilli and also chop finely. Combine the eggs, breadcrumbs, onion, garlic, chilli, lime zest and parmesan with the minced meat. Generously season the mixture with salt and pepper and knead well to combine. Use moistened hands to shape the mixture into small balls, then set the balls aside on a large, flat plate and refrigerate.
For the tomato sauce, peel the garlic and shallots. Mince the garlic and finely dice the shallots. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan or wide saucepan. Add the shallots and garlic and sweat for a few minutes until translucent. Stir in the tomato paste and briefly fry. Deglaze with balsamic vinegar and add
1 teaspoon sugar. Stir everything for a few minutes to caramelise.
Add the diced tomatoes and passata and leave the sauce to simmer, uncovered, for about 30 minutes.
After about 20 minutes, heat the olive oil for frying the meatballs in another large frying pan. Fry the meatballs in two batches over medium to high heat until well browned all over. Season the simmering sauce with chilli flakes, lime juice, sugar, salt and pepper. Add the fried meatballs, cover with a lid and continue to cook for another 10 minutes over low heat. Season the sauce again with salt and pepper.
Remove the meatballs from the sauce and serve hot on a platter or with toothpicks as finger food or part of a buffet. Alternatively, leave to cool and pack as a snack on your next picnic. Serve the sauce as a dip on the side, garnished with fresh oregano.
Images and recipes from New York Capital of Food by Lisa Nieschlag and Lars Wentrup, Murdoch Books, RRP $39.99 Photography by Lisa Nieschlag