Spiced meatballs in tomato sauce

These are delicious Greek meatballs with an oriental flavour produced from including cumin.  The meatballs are first fried and then finished off in the tomato sauce.

Preparation Time: 15 Mins

Cooking Time: 55 Mins

Total Time: 70 Mins

Ingredients

For 4 servings…

2 slices            Bread  - stale white   

230 ml             Wine  - sweet          

500 gms           Mince        

                     Pepper  - freshly ground, black  

                     Salt          

2 cloves           Garlic  - chopped      

2 tbs               Olive oil     

1 tsp               Cumin  - ground       

For the tomato sauce

1 clove             Garlic  - chopped      

4 tbs               Olive oil     

1 tin                Tomatoes   

1 tbs               Tomato purée          

3 berries          Allspice     

1 tbs               Cumin  - ground       

1                    Chilli  - red, hot, dried - chopped

For frying

                     Olive oil     

Method

To make the tomato sauce…

Place the garlic and olive oil in a saucepan and sauté over medium heat for a few minutes until the garlic is softened.  Pour in 60 ml of the reserved wine, let the alcohol evaporate and then add all remaining ingredients for the tomato sauce.  Allow it to boil for about 25 minutes - until thickened.

To make the meatballs…

Soak the bread in the wine.  Squeeze surplus wine from the bread, retaining the excess and put the bread in a large bowl.  Add the meat, salt and pepper, garlic, oil and cumin and knead well until there is a fluffy mixture.

With hands moisten with the remaining reserved wine, pinch off portions of the minced meat mixture and roll them into small ovals.

Fry in olive oil for 2-3 minutes until they turn brown.

Add the meatballs to the saucepan with the tomato sauce and boil for about 10 minutes over medium heat.

Serve with rice, pasta or mashed potatoes.

Wine recommendations

A robust red wine.

Conventional

     Côtes du Rhône

Interesting

     Corbières

     Costières de Nîmes

     Côtes du Luberon

     Gaillac