A few days earlier I made the hummus (that's it in the bowl on the lower right) using a recipe from the South Beach Diet. It's a few posts back in the blog.
Then I used a recipe that another friend who is doing the challenge posted.
It started with sautéing 2 cups of onions in a bit of olive oil and a pinch of salt. I thought it seemed like a lot of onions for a pound of ground lamb so I asked the aforementioned friend and he said it cooked down and didn't seem like too much. Minced garlic gets added after the onions are softened.
While the onions softened and browned over medium heat I toasted pine nuts over medium heat on another burner.
In many ways it is your typical meatball. I gathered up egg, black pepper, paprika, salt, black pepper, and Aleppo pepper. I also chopped up 1/2 cup of parsley, using the parsley from the new herb pots. The best way to mix all of this up is with your hands, naturally!
John mentioned that he added some breadcrumbs as the meatballs weren't holding together. I didn't have breadcrumbs so I added a handful of oats (which is what I use in my meatloaf).
The recipe calls for the toasted pine nuts to be added to the lamb mixture. Steve gets that horrible 'pine mouth' if he eats them so I divided the mixture and only added pine nuts to half.
It's recommended that you brown a meatball and then check it for seasoning. Well, I browned the meatball, set it aside, and forgot to taste it while I continued to brown the rest of the meatballs!
I should have though, as the meatballs did need a little more seasoning.
After the meatballs are browned on all sides, I put them on a foil lined rimmed sheet, then placed the sheet in a 425 Fahrenheit oven. I checked them at 5 minutes by cutting one open, but ended up baking almost 5 minutes longer.
Meanwhile I deglazed the pan with some of the pomegranate molasses and some water, and let it reduce to a pan sauce.
Then, following the recipe instructions I layered some hummus on a plate, piled the lamb meatballs in the middle, then drizzled the sauce and sprinkled the pine nuts. And I served it with pita bread.
I liked a lot of this recipe. The lamb with the hummus was great.
I don't think the pine nuts add a lot, and pine nuts are expensive so I probably won't use with this recipe again. I'll save the pine nuts for when it makes a difference.
I would use smoked paprika instead of regular paprika in the recipe, and I thought that slightly more salt was needed in seasoning the meatballs. I was a little worried about the molasses but it was really transformed when it blended with the meatballs and hummus. That said, you could make the recipe without the molasses and it wouldn't miss it.
The Original Recipe may be found here: http://www.amateurgourmet.com/2015/03/lamb-meatballs-on-ottolenghis-hummus-with-pomegranate-molasses.html
Sources
Ground lamb - I got this from my local rancher. He is at the Liberty and Kearney, MO Farmers Markets on Saturdays, and you can always pick up at the farm. He also has a winter meat CSA. Www.barhamcattleco.com
Pomegranate Molasses - you should be able to find this at a Mediterranean grocer. I was lucky enough to find mine at a small shop in Beaumont Texas! Abbie's Imports. http://www.abbiesimports.com
Aleppo Pepper - it can be hard to find. If you have a Mediterranean grocer you may find it. I bought a bag at the City Market in Kansas City from one of the spice vendors there. And, you can always bye it from Penzeys. Www.penzeys.com
My Recipe
I'm going to make mine slightly differently next time, so here is my version, based on the recipe at Amateur Gourmet.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups diced sweet onion
- 3 cloves chopped garlic
- 1 pound ground lamb
- 1/3 cup chopped parsley
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Smoked, sweet paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
- 1 egg, mixed with a fork
- Handful of quick cooking oats
- Olive oil for browning
- Pomegranate molasses and water for deglazing the pan
- Hummus (see recipe on the blog)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425.
- Preheat a large skillet, and when it is hot, add the oil. Add the onions and cook over high heat with a pinch of salt. When the onions start to soften and brown, add the garlic–lower the heat a bit–and cook for another minute until the garlic is just cooked but not at all brown. Set aside and allow to cool before adding the mixture to the meat.
- In a large bowl, using your hands, combine the lamb, parsley, salt, pepper, paprika, Aleppo pepper, egg, the cooked onions and garlic, and a handful of oats.
- Make a test meatball by frying a small clump of this meat mixture in hot oil to see how it tastes. Adjust for seasoning.
- Wipe out the onion skillet, and heat a drizzle of oil until hot. Shape golf-ball sized meatballs and add them to the pan (be careful not to crowd things). Cook the meatballs until brown on all sides and then remove them to a rimmed cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil. Pop into the oven for 5 minutes and then test one by cutting into it; if it’s cooked all the way through, they’re ready.
- To plate, spoon hummus on to your plates, starting at the center, then using the back of a spoon to create a landing pad for the meatballs. Place your meatballs in the center, sprinkle with more parsley and and some Aleppo pepper too, and then drizzle with pomegranate molasses. Eat right away.