Meatballs

In the summer of my 13th year, I discovered youtube, more specifically I discovered food tubers. I would spend countless hours watching and learning new recipes (not much has changed!). One day I stumbled upon this meatball recipe from Jamie's ministry of food, and ever since then we have been making these at home! For me the key to a perfect meatball is to have a crunchy exterior. Meatballs are a classic feel good food. Although these are more similar to Italian meatballs, I also enjoy going to Ikea to eat Swedish ones!

This meatball recipe can also be used to make burgers - the recipe yields 6 burgers and about 12 meatballs.

Recipe

Ingredients:

Meatballs:

• 1 packet of minced meat (roughly 600 g)

• 1/2 packet of crushed cream crackers

• 1 tbsp oregano

• 1 tsp Dijon mustard

• 1 egg

• Handful of fresh herbs - (I usually use a few basil leaves or some rosemary. Basically whatever is in the fridge)

Sauce:

• 2 tins of chopped tomatoes

• 7-8 leaves of basil

• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (roughly, I never usually measure)

• Pinch of sea salt

• 400 g spaghetti

This recipe serves 4 people

Method:

1. Put the cream crackers and fresh herbs into a blender and whizz up into a fine powder. Next add all the meatball ingredients into a bowl and mix together until everything is incorporated. Roll into meatballs that are about the size of a golf ball and leave to firm up in the fridge for about 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile make the sauce. Do this by putting all the sauce ingredients into a sauce pan and cooking at a high heat until it comes to the boil. At this point reduce the temperature and leave to simmer. This sauce also works great for my pizzas, check out that post on my website! I usually blitz the sauce slightly, so that the pasta can absorb it. It also spreads better on pizzas if it is blended slightly.

3. Now it is time to cook the meatballs, bring a frying pan to a medium high heat and drizzle some oil on it. Add the meatballs in, in increments until everything is cooked. To keep the meatballs warm put them in an oven dish and place in a 180c oven. Cook the pasta and then serve in a large bowl.