What makes a meatball a meatball? I struggle with the term because English, unlike some other languages, doesn’t have a satisfactory word for a veggie ‘meatball’. One definition, I suppose, is any kind of minced meat sphere that’s been bulked out with starch or vegetables to lighten things up and to add or absorb flavour. The solution would be to permit the word to cover instances where the ratio shifts away from meat, making balls that are almost dumpling-like: fresh, full of flavour and impossibly fluffy. And to let us still call them meatballs.
Meatball and mushroom tray bake with celery salsa
Cooking the meatballs and vegetables in stock, as I do here, not only creates an easy meal in a tray, it also means the meatballs soak up the surrounding flavours and become richer and more complex.
Prep 25 min
Cook 1 hr 15 min
Serves 4
500g oyster mushrooms, roughly torn in half
800g roasting potatoes, skin on and cut into 3-4cm pieces
¾ tsp chilli flakes
100ml olive oil
2 lemons, skin finely shaved, to get 4 strips, and juiced, to get 60ml
Salt and black pepper
420ml chicken stock
2-3 celery sticks, finely sliced on an angle, reserve leaves
1 tbsp currants
2 tbsp parsley leaves, finely chopped
For the meatballs
30g dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in 250ml boiling water for 10 minutes
250g beef mince
250g pork mince
3 tbsp olive oil
1 large plum tomato, coarsely grated, skin discarded and liquid drained (50g net weight)
1 banana shallot, peeled and finely grated
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 tbsp tomato paste
50g parmesan, finely grated
1½ tbsp picked flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 egg, beaten
Heat the oven to 220C (200C fan)/425F/gas 7. Put the mushrooms, potatoes, chilli, five tablespoons of oil and the lemon peel in a 35cm x 25cm roasting tray, season with a quarter teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper, and roast for 35 minutes, stirring twice, so the potatoes and mushrooms don’t stick to the tray, until soft and golden brown.
Meanwhile, make the meatballs. Drain the porcini, squeezing out as much water as possible, then finely chop. Put in a large bowl with all the other meatball ingredients, three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt and plenty of pepper. Mix until well combined, then form into eight large, 110g or so, meatballs, squeezing to compact them.
Pour the stock over the potatoes and mushrooms, arrange the meatballs evenly around the tray and return to the oven for 35 minutes, turning the tray around once halfway through the roasting, until the meatballs are cooked through and golden-brown.
While the meatballs are cooking, mix the celery, celery leaves, currants and parsley in a medium-sized bowl with the lemon juice, the remaining 25ml olive oil, a quarter-teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper.
When you’re ready to eat, top the meatballs with the celery mixture and serve directly from the tray.
Courgette and chickpea ‘meatballs’ in spicy tomato sauce
My love of falafel set me on a journey that led me to these chickpea “meatballs”, which are soft, pillowy and vibrant green inside. Serve with couscous or rice and a spoon of Greek yoghurt.
Prep 20 min
Cook 1 hr 20 min
Serves 4
400g courgette, coarsely grated (about 2-3 courgettes)
Salt and black pepper
105ml olive oil
5 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
500g plum tomatoes (about 5-6), coarsely grated and skins discarded (400g net weight)
1½ tsp tomato paste
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp dried chilli flakes
1½ tsp caster sugar
150g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight in cold water and ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ onion, peeled and roughly chopped
4 tbsp roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley, plus extra leaves to garnish
4 tbsp roughly chopped coriander, plus extra leaves to garnish
¾ tsp baking powder
2 eggs
50g panko breadcrumbs (or other dry breadcrumbs)
Put the courgettes into a sieve set over a bowl, sprinkle with half a teaspoon of salt, toss, then leave to drain for at least 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the sauce. In a large saute pan with a lid, heat two tablespoons of oil on a medium-high flame. Cook the garlic until lightly browned – about 90 seconds – then add the tomatoes, tomato paste, two teaspoons each of the cumin and coriander, the cinnamon, the chilli flakes, a teaspoon and a quarter of salt and a good grind of pepper. Cook, stirring, for seven minutes, until thickened. Add 700ml of water and the sugar, cook for 10 minutes, then turn off the heat while you make the koftas.
Drain the chickpeas, then transfer to a food processor with the onion, herbs and remaining teaspoon each of cumin and coriander. Pulse a few times, scraping the sides of the bowl as you go, until you have a coarse paste (don’t take it as far as a smooth puree). Transfer to a bowl and add the baking powder, eggs, panko, three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper.
Tip the courgettes into a clean tea towel and wring over the sink to extract as much liquid as possible. Add to the chickpea mix and combine, then shape into 15 golfball-size balls weighing roughly 50g each.
Put four tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan on a medium-high heat, then fry the balls in two batches, turning them occasionally, until browned all over – about four minutes a batch.
Bring the sauce back to a simmer on a medium-high heat, gently lower in the balls, cover the pan and turn down the heat to medium-low. Cook for 25 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced slightly and the balls are cooked through. Top with the picked herbs, drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and serve straight from the pan.
Lamb and aubergine kofta
The aubergine makes these koftas rich and moist. Cook the aubergines on an outdoor barbecue, instead of the oven, to lend them a smoky flavour, if you like.
Prep 10 min
Cook 1 hr 15 min
Serves 4
3 aubergines (750g), cut in half lengthways
90ml olive oil
Salt and black pepper
400g lamb mince (20% fat)
½ onion, peeled and coarsely grated
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¾ tsp ground allspice
¾ tsp aleppo chilli
2½ tbsp mint leaves, roughly chopped, plus extra leaves to serve
4 tbsp flat-leaf picked parsley, roughly chopped
¾ tbsp lemon juice
120g Greek-style yoghurt
Heat the oven to very high – 250C (230C fan)/gas 9½. Cut deep crosshatches into each aubergine half, then season with three tablespoons of oil, a quarter-teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper. Place the aubergine halves cut side up on an oven tray lined with greaseproof paper, and roast for 40 minutes, until soft and very well browned. Once the aubergines are cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh into a bowl and discard the skins, stalks and any liquid. Transfer the aubergine flesh to a board, roughly chop, then put 160g of the chopped aubergine (you’ll use the rest in the salsa) into a large bowl with the lamb, onion, garlic, cinnamon, allspice, half a teaspoon of the chilli, the mint, two‑thirds of the parsley, three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper, and mix well. Form into 12 torpedo-shaped koftas, each weighing about 50g.
Put two tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan on a high heat. Fry the koftas in two batches, turning often, until browned all over – about four minutes. Transfer to an oven tray lined with greaseproof paper and bake for six minutes, or until cooked through. While the koftas are in the oven, mix the reserved aubergine with the lemon juice, the last tablespoon of oil and a good pinch of salt and pepper.
Divide the yoghurt between four plates, top first with the aubergine salsa then the kofta, and sprinkle with the last quarter-teaspoon of chilli and a few mint leaves.
