antipasti...mediterranean style

A few weeks ago I blogged about shepherd's pie made with ground beef and now I'm blogging about meatballs made from ground lamb...WTF ! Confusing and backwards as that may be...I stand firmly behind each recipe. And these meatballs make a great antipasti, side dish, or an excellent addition to any tapas type dinner party menu. Juicy and rich, the lamb meatballs stewed in a fresh simple tomato sauce are stuffed with gooey herbed goat cheese for that little something extra, and topped with grated pecorino cheese and some toasted breadcrumbs for an outstanding contrast in texture and that slight crunch to wake up your tastebuds. Again this dish is pretty much straight out of Urban Italian by Andrew Carmellini, who, if anyone happens to be in the greater NY area, is now the executive chef at Locanda Verde (formerly Ago in the Greenwich Hotel). I have yet to get there for dinner, but I'm dying to !

I made these quickly Monday evening before an opening night event for Jill at Lincoln Center. We were a little rushed...and though they were good, we didn't quite do it up right with the breadcrumbs...and quickly scarfed down 3 or 4 a piece while getting ready before running out the door. FYI the recipe makes about 30...think cocktail sized meatballs not rolling ball in Temple of Doom sized. However...the next day, we had the leftovers for lunch, once our stomachs were ready for something solid, and I took the time to do them up right. As embarrassing as it may be...there were none available for dinner. They're so good...and so simple...you can't eat just one. (PS if this blog ever got popular I'd be in SOOO much trouble for copywright infringement it's ridiculous). Here's how to put these together.

Lamb Meatballs

3 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion chopped

1 clove of garlic diced

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground fennel seed

1 tbsp fresh rosemary chopped

1/4 C goat cheese

2 links hot italian sausage casings removed

1 lb ground lamb

1/2 C panko bread crumbs

2 eggs

1/2 tsp salt

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook till soft, approx 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute stirring constantly.

Add the coriander, fennel, and rosemary. Cook for another minute to release the herb/spice aroma. Your kitchen will smell amazing right about now. Remove the mixture to a bowl and reserve till it comes to room temperature. You can also throw it in the fridge for 5 minutes while you prep the goat cheese.

Take small pieces of goat cheese and roll them in your palm to form 1/2 inch balls. Put aside and reserve.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the onion-herb mixture, lamb, sausage, eggs, breadcrumbs, and salt. Mix well with your HANDS !

Take about 2 tbsp of meat mixture and roll it in your hands to form a ball about the size of a ping pong ball. Take your thumb and make an indentation deep enough for the goat cheese in the center. Place said goat cheese in the cavity, and pinch the meat mixture around the sides to cover. Roll again to smooth out meatballs and set aside and reserve. Continue until all of the meat and goat cheese is used.

Tomato Sauce

1/4 C olive oil

1 medium onion diced

1 28oz can crushed tomatoes (San Marzano if possible)

pinch of red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp italian seasoning (a mixture of basil, rosemary, thyme and oregano)

Directions

Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook until soft, approx 3 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, red pepper flakes, salt, sugar and spice mixture and stir to combine. Allow to cook over medium-high heat for 10 minutes until the flavors combine and the sauce is reduced.

Lower the heat so the sauce is barely simmering. Add the meatballs in a single layer (you may have to do this in two batches) and cook for 5-7 min. Flip the meatballs with a spoon and simmer until cooked through approx another 5-7 minutes. Remove the first batch and repeat if necessary.

Serve 3-4 meatballs per serving, top with sauce, toasted breadcrumbs and fresh grated percorino cheese.

Toasted Breadcrumbs

2 tbsp olive oil

1 C panko bread crumbs

salt and pepper

herbs of your choice

Directions

Heat olive oil in a skillet. Add panko breadcrumbs, salt and pepper and stir to coat with oil. Cook for 4 minutes until the nicely toasted. In the last minute add whatever herbs you like. I used rosemary and thyme for this particular dish.

It reads tougher than it is...and from start to finish only takes about 30 minutes including the time spent forming 30 meatballs or so. The breadcrumbs really do set this dish off...I was shocked at the difference. Not they're not good by themselves, but with the added texture and flavor of the breadcrumbs it takes another giant leap forward. The combination of textures, spices, and that little tangy kick from the goat cheese really sets these meatballs apart from anything else I've had. I know I'm a bit crazy for lamb at the moment, but these are seriously delicious and just different enough to be something special. I highly recommend them for your next dinner party, and should you take me up on that offer, you'll field plenty of questions about the recipe. That is if everyone's mouth isn't full with them.

Mangia et statti zitto...

cheers...

dunkin