This is a delicious recipe from Ottolenghi’s ‘Jerusalem’ which is one of my favourite recipe books. It has a sense of Persia about it, and for a while I was trying to find it in another book. I used up a couple of reduced lamb steaks and some beef mince, as well as some broad beans from the freezer to make this. It is easiest to make if you have a mincer; mine is electric and very efficient.
INGREDIENTS:
For the meatballs:
- 300g beef mince
- 200g lamb mince (or mince some lamb)
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 120g breadcrumbs (I put three large slices of stale wholemeal bread in a blender)
- 2tbsp each of chopped mint, coriander and parsley
- 1 tsp dried dill (or 2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped if it is available)
- 2 large cloves of garlic, crushed
- 1 tbsp baharat spice mix (I got mine from Seasoned Pioneers)
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp capers, chopped
- 1 large egg, beaten
For the Sauce:
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 300 to 400g broad beans, fresh or frozen
- 1 tsp dried thyme, or the leaves from 4 fresh sprigs
- 6 cloves of garlic, chopped
- a bunch of spring onions, in 2cm segments, or a chopped shallot
- juice of half a lemon (around 2 tbsp, or to taste)
- 500ml chicken stock
- salt and pepper
METHOD:
- In a large bowl, mix the meatball ingredients together. If you have a mincer, feed the mixture through the mincer after mixing, to ensure the ingredients are chopped and mixed together.
- Divide the mixture into 24 meatballs, about the size of a pingpong ball. Put them on an oiled baking tray, and leave them in the fridge for at least 20 minutes.
- Heat the oven up to high, and then put the chilled meatballs in for 5 minutes, until they are browned.
- Meanwhile, if you are feeling keen, poach the broad beans and remove the skins. Personally I like the skins and generally leave them on. The original recipe suggests half and half.
- In a large casserole pan, heat the olive oil. When it is hot, fry the spring onion, thyme and garlic over a medium heat for 3 minutes or so.
- Add the unpeeled broad beans, 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice, 80ml stock, 1/4 tsp salt and lots of black pepper. Poach the beans in the stock for 10 minutes.
- Add the meatballs with the remaining stock, bring to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes over a low heat. At this juncture, you could turn the heat off and do something else, and come back to reheat.
- Just before serving, check to see if there is enough sauce. Stir in mixed chopped fresh herbs (mint, coriander, parsley, dill) and the peeled beans.
I served this with plain rice, my daugher got a wee take-away from me, and served hers with orzo pasta and pinenuts. Both delicious.