Spicy meatballs with cucumber salad

These meatballs are as good as they get.  Combined with this a lovely, refreshing cucumber salad from Spain, they make an ideal tapas dish.  The accompaniment is bit different from the more common tomato sauce or yoghurt and mint sauce.

Preparation Time: 20 Mins

Cooking Time: 25 Mins

Total Time: 70 Mins

Ingredients

For 4 servings…

For the meatballs

1 tbs               Olive oil     

1                    Shallot  - chopped very finely   

2 cloves           Garlic  - chopped very finely     

1 tbs               Chilli flakes

2 tbs               Cumin seeds           

1 tbs               Coriander seeds       

1 tbs               Fennel seeds           

340 gms           Mince  - lamb or beef 

2                    Eggs         

140 ml             Breadcrumbs  - fresh white      

2 tsp               Salt          

For frying

3 tbs               Olive oil     

To serve

  Piment d'Espelette            

To make the vinegar reduction

  Vinegar  - Moscatel          

For the cucumber salad

1                    Cucumber  - peeled and sliced thinly       

2 tbs               Salt          

3 tbs               Moscatel vinegar reduction      

1 tbs               Olive oil     

¼ tsp              Lemon zest  - grated 

70 ml              Mint  - cut into thin ribbons      

Method

To make the meatballs…

Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat until hot.  Add the olive oil and warm it until it ripples.  Add the shallot, garlic, and chilli flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 1 minute, or until the shallot and garlic are softened but not browned.  Transfer to a bowl and let cool.  Set the pan aside to use for cooking the meatballs.

Grind the cumin, coriander and fennel seeds to a fine powder.

Add the mince to the shallot mixture along with the ground spices, eggs, bread crumbs, and salt.  Lightly mix together all of the ingredients just until just combined.

Using about 2 tablespoons of the meat mixture for each meatball, form into 16 golf ball-size balls and set aside on a plate.

To cook the meatballs and serve…

Return the sauté pan to a medium-high heat and heat until hot.  Add the oil and warm it until it ripples.  Add the meatballs, being careful not to crowd them in the pan - if necessary, cook them in 2 batches.  Cook, turning them every few minutes, for about 10 minutes, or until browned evenly on all sides.  The meatballs should be just barely cooked through and even a little pink.  Transfer the meatballs to a plate to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Divide the cucumber salad among 4 small plates, arranging the salad in a small mound on each plate.  Top with the meatballs, dividing them evenly.  Garnish with a sprinkling of piment d’Espelette.

To make the Moscatel vinegar reduction…

Pour Moscatel vinegar into a small saucepan, place over medium-high heat, bring to a boil, decrease the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until reduced by half.

Let it cool.  It can be stored in a tightly covered jar at room temperature.

To make the cucumber salad…

Put the cucumber slices in a colander and toss with the salt.  Let it sit for 10 minutes and then squeeze lightly to remove the liquid and drain well.

Put the drained cucumbers in a bowl, add the vinegar reduction, olive oil, lemon zest, and mint leaves, and stir gently to mix.

Wine recommendations

A robust red wine.

Conventional

     Rioja

Interesting

     Corbières

     Côtes du Luberon

     Côtes du Rhône

     Gaillac