Now you see them, now you don’t…
These meatballs are really satisfying and disappear pretty quickly! I have used ground turkey & chicken and both are equally delicious. Don’t skip the sauce… it is a must. Serve warm or at room temperature (or eat them cold out of the fridge like me).
INGREDIENTS
For the meatballs:
- 1/2 cup corn (fresh or frozen)
- 3 slices of stale white bread, crusts removed
- 1lb ground turkey or chicken
- 1 egg
- 4 green onions, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley
- 2 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- canola or sunflower oil
For the sauce:
- 4 red bell peppers
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 small Fresno chili, deseeded
- 2 tbsp sweet chili sauce
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 400F. To prepare the peppers for the sauce, quarter them with a sharp knife and shave off the white parts and the seeds. Put them in a roasting tray and toss with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and ½ teaspoon of the salt, then roast in the oven for 35 minutes or until soft. Transfer the hot peppers to a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Once they have cooled down a little, you can peel them, although it isn’t essential for this sauce. In any case, place them in a blender or food processor with their roasting juices and add the rest of the sauce ingredients. Process until smooth, then taste and adjust the salt if necessary. Set aside.
- For the meatballs, place a heavy non-stick frying pan over a high heat and throw in the corn kernels. Toss them in the hot pan for 2-3 minutes, until lightly blackened. Remove and leave to cool.
- Soak the bread in cold water for a minute, then squeeze well and crumble it into a large bowl. Add all the rest of the ingredients except the oil and mix well with your hands.
- Pour a shallow depth of sunflower or canola oil into your heavy frying pan. Allow it to heat up well and then fry about a teaspoon of the mince mix in it. Remove, let cool a little and then taste. Adjust the amount of salt and pepper in the uncooked mixture to your liking.
- With wet hands, shape the mince mix into balls, about the size of golf balls. Brown them in small batches in the hot oil, turning them around in the pan until they are golden brown all over. Transfer to an oven tray, place in the oven at 400F and bake for about 5 minutes. When you press one with your finger, the meat should bounce back. If unsure, break one open to check that it is cooked inside. Serve hot or warm, with the pepper sauce on the side.
