Italian polpette, keftedes from Greece, Spanish albondigas, Polish klopsiki, American meatballs, Swedish meatballs … I’m clearly not the only one here who adores meatballs. They’re nostalgic and novel at once, because every time I make them, I think of my father (who loved them) and my sons (who love them, too). Meatballs are somehow reliably always there, ready to be rustled together, yet also somehow different every time, happy to accommodate disparate spices, herbs and meat, depending on what’s to hand. More often than not, there is also always a portion left over, which makes me love them even more the next day as I pile them into a sandwich, eat it at room temperature and start planning the next batch.
Meatballs in peanut gravy with cucumber, lime and peanut salad (pictured top)
These get their influence from all over. The style is Swedish, the peanuts and spicing from West Africa, and the salad from south-east Asia, where the habit of “smacking” cucumbers means that any flavours you pair them with really sink in. Smack them only lightly, though – you want to bruise the cucumber gently, rather than give it a full-blown thwack. Serve with rice.
Prep 30 min
Rest 1 hr +
Cook 35 min
Serves 4
1 onion (180g), peeled, ¾ coarsely grated, the rest thinly sliced and reserved for the salad
50g panko or regular breadcrumbs
60ml whole milk
1½ tsp cajun spice mix
Fine sea salt and black pepper
500g pork or lamb mince (10-12% fat)
1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp sunflower oil, or other neutral oil
For the cucumber and peanut salad
½ cucumber (150g), peeled, halved lengthways, lightly bashed with the flat of a large knife, then cut into 1cm pieces
2 tbsp lime juice
5g mint leaves, roughly chopped
5g coriander leaves, roughly chopped
40g roasted salted peanuts, roughly chopped
For the peanut gravy
⅛ tsp cayenne pepper
1½ tsp cajun spice mix
300ml chicken or vegetable stock
1½ tsp tomato paste
2 tbsp smooth peanut butter
¾ tsp caster sugar
Put the grated onion, breadcrumbs, milk, the cajun spices, a quarter-teaspoon of salt and a heavy grind of pepper in a large bowl and mix to combine. Set aside for five minutes, to give the breadcrumbs time to plump up, then stir in the mince and egg. Mix vigorously, shape into a large patty, then cover and put in the fridge for about an hour (or overnight).
An hour or so before you want to cook the meatballs, put the sliced onion, cucumber and lime in a small bowl and toss to combine.
Take the supersized meatball patty out of the fridge, break it up into 30g-35g pieces and roll these into balls – you should end up with 20-22 meatballs. Put the oil in a large frying pan on a medium-high heat and, once it’s hot, add all the meatballs and cook for 12 minutes, gently turning with tongs, until browned all over and cooked through. Transfer the meatballs to a plate.
Stir the spices for the gravy into the hot oil remaining in the pan, add all the remaining gravy ingredients and a quarter-teaspoon of salt and cook, whisking frequently, for three minutes, until the gravy thickens slightly. Return the meatballs to the pan and cook for two minutes, to warm through, swirling the pan to coat them in the sauce.
Transfer the meatballs and gravy to a large serving bowl. Mix the herbs and peanuts into the cucumber salad, transfer to a small bowl and serve alongside the meatballs.
Classic retested: ricotta and oregano lamb meatballs
The generous amount of ricotta in these helps make them the most tender of meatballs. Pile them into a soft submarine roll or serve them on top of tagliatelle. The meatballs can be made and cooked up to a day ahead, if you like, and their flavour will only improve with time.
Prep 15 min
Cook 1 hr
Serves 6
2 large onions (450g), peeled and roughly chopped
2 medium carrots (225g), roughly chopped
2 large celery stalks (100g), roughly chopped
5 tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
4 sprigs fresh oregano
400g tinned chopped tomatoes
½ tsp sugar
Fine sea salt and black pepper
500g lamb mince (20% fat), or pork mince
100g fresh breadcrumbs, made from 3-4 slices crustless bread
250g ricotta
80g parmesan, finely grated
1 egg
½ tsp dried oregano
20g chopped parsley, plus 5g extra to finish
500ml chicken or vegetable stock
Put the onions in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped (or chop them by hand). Put half the chopped onions in a large saute pan for which you have a lid, and put the rest in a large bowl. Put the carrot and celery in the food processor and pulse until they, too, are finely chopped (again, or chop by hand).
Tip the chopped carrot and celery into to the onion pan, and add two and a half tablespoons of oil, half the garlic and all the fresh oregano. Turn on the heat to medium-high, then cook, stirring occasionally, for 10-12 minutes, until the vegetables soften. Stir in the tomatoes, sugar, 250ml water, half a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of black pepper, then cook for another 13-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens. Take the pan off the heat.
Meanwhile, make the meatballs. Put the remaining garlic in the bowl of chopped onions, then add the lamb, breadcrumbs, ricotta, 60g grated parmesan, egg, dried oregano, parsley, three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt and some black pepper. Work with your hands until well combined, then shape into 24 balls weighing about 50g each.
Put a tablespoon and a half of the remaining olive oil in a large frying pan on a high heat and, once it’s hot, add half the meatballs and sear them for two to three minutes, turning them regularly, until browned evenly all over. Transfer to a tray or plate, then repeat with the final tablespoon of oil and the rest of the meatballs.
Lift out and discard the oregano sprigs in the sauce, pour in the stock and stir well. Put the pan on a medium-high heat, then nestle the meatballs in the sauce, cover the pan and leave to cook for 15 minutes. Take off the lid and cook for another 10-12 minutes until the sauce thickens. Scatter over the remaining grated parmesan and the reserved chopped parsley, and serve.
