Smoky albondigas (Spanish meatballs)
"The name sounds like a Norteño musician who’s decided to move to Nashville and play country, but this is actually the absolute top favourite tapita – that is, little tapas – of all time. When the tapas craze first took hold in every bar in every land, often with no relation to the original bar snack from Spain, this was the one that resonated with me. It still does. It doesn’t matter whether I’m on a bar crawl in Madrid, Barcelona, San Sebastián or Seville, this is the little plate I’m looking for. Basically, I’m so friendly with albondigas I keep hoping one day they’ll say, “You can call me Al.” – Matt Preston.
This is an edited extract from Yummy Easy Quick: Around the World by Matt Preston. Published by Plum, RRP $39.99. Photography by Mark Roper.
Ingredients (18)
- 1/4 cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 onions, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 1/2 tbs tomato paste
- 1/4 cup (60) dry sherry or white wine
- 1/3 cup (80ml) passata
- 100g white sourdough bread, crusts removed
- 1/2 cup (125ml) full-cream milk
- 1 egg
- 600g beef or veal mince
- 200g pork mince
- Coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley and crusty bread, to serve
Salsa
- 4 cups (1L) passata
- 1/4 cup (60ml) dry sherry or white wine
- 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp salt flakes
- 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
Don't forget you can add these ingredients to your Woolworths shopping list.
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1.For the salsa, in a saucepan, simmer the passata for 15 minutes, or until reduced by a third. Stir in the remaining ingredients, then transfer to a bowl and set aside.
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2.Heat the oil in the same pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10-12 minutes, until softened. This is the first of three steps to achieve a really intense flavour in the caramelised onion that will form the soul of the albondigas. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 6-8 minutes, until soft. Reduce the heat to low, add 1 tsp salt flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes or until the onion becomes a deep caramelised colour.
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3.Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 4 minutes, then add the sherry or wine and cook for 3 minutes, or until reduced by half. Add the passata and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10-12 minutes, until the mixture reduces to a thin paste. Transfer to a heatproof bowl and set aside to cool slightly.
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4.Place the bread in a bowl and pour the milk over. Set aside for a few minutes until completely soaked, then use your hands to squeeze out the excess liquid. Add the squeezed bread, egg and all the mince to the caramelised onion and tomato mixture and stir until well combined. Season well with salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper.
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5.Preheat the oven to 240°C/220°C fan-forced. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
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6.Roll heaped 1 tbs measures of the mince mixture into balls and place on the prepared tray. Bake for 8 minutes, or until beginning to colour and release liquid.
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7.Transfer the albondigas to a snug baking dish and cover with the tomato salsa. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and starting to crisp around the edges.
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8.Sprinkle with parsley and serve with crusty bread.
Recipe Notes
A salad of chickpeas warmed in olive oil with segments of orange, then tossed with parsley makes a nice accompaniment to this dish. In winter, cook sliced silverbeet with a couple of cloves of garlic in the olive oil before adding the chickpeas. Season with salt flakes and marble the sauce with any reserved orange juice captured when you segmented the orange.
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