Delicious lamb meatballs with oloroso sherry and piquillo peppers – you need to buy the expensive ones by El Navarrico. Comforting, quick and easy to make. Serve as a sharing dish with crusty bread.
Wine Suggestion: “Kimera“, which we picked up in Pamplona earlier this year is a gem made by Luis Moya Tortosa. Old vine Garnatxa which has both depth, refinement and an effortless weight. We once thought Grenache tended to be heavy and alcoholic, but have been proved so wrong as we’ve explored more of this grape the past few years.
Lamb albondigas – serves 4
- 500g lamb mince
- 30g fresh white breadcrumbs
- 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
- 1 tsp sweet smoked pimentón de la vera
- 3 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh oregano
- finely grated zest of 1 lemon
- 1 egg,
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 150ml oloroso sherry
- 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
- 2 tsp sherry vinegar
- 1 x 240g jar piquillo peppers, drained and sliced
- crusty bread, to serve
Put the lamb mince, breadcrumbs, garlic, pimentón, a third of the parsley, the oregano, lemon zest and egg in a large bowl. Season well, mix with your hands to combine, then shape into 20 small meatballs.
Put the oil into a large frying pan over a medium-high heat, then fry the meatballs, turning often, for about 5 mintues or until browned all over. Transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon.
Add the onion to the pan and cook for 10 minutes, until softened, then add the sherry and bubble until reduced by half. Add the tomatoes, season generously and leave to bubble for 10 minutes. Stir in the vinegar, then return the meatballs to the pan along with the peppers and leave to cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened.
Scatter over the rest of the chopped parsley and serve with the crusty bread.
(Original recipe by José Pizzaro in The Guardian).
Jono & Jules do food & wine 