Albondigas

Having two reasonably adventurous children, I try to cook something from a different country each week. Today, something Spanish and rustic.

Ingredients - Albondigas:

• 250 - 300g each of minced pork and beef.
• 3 cloves of garlic - finely diced
• 1/3 large onion finely diced
• 1 cup of fresh breadcrumbs
• 1 small handful of parsley - finely chopped (I used a blender for the onion, bread and parsley)
• 1 teaspoon each of ground coriander, cumin and nutmeg.
• 1 pinch of cinnamon
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 egg

Ingredients - Tomato sauce:

• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 2/3 large onion - finely diced
• 1 garlic clove
• 250ml dry white wine - I used chardonnay
• 2 x 400g cans of diced tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons of tomato puree
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup of frozen peas

How? Make the meat balls by combining all the above ingredients in a large bowl, working by hand until homogeneous. Shape into small balls, set aside and refrigerate for 30 minutes or so. Start on the sauce.

Fry the onion and garlic in a tablespoon of olive oil until clear and then add the wine and bring to the boil. After a few minutes add the tins of tomato, tomato puree and stock. Simmer and reduce by approximately half. Remove from heat. Cook the meat balls.

In a large pan fry the meat balls in olive oil, in batches, till brown on the outside. When all have been appropriately sealed and partially cooked - set aside and now reheat the sauce. Once simmering - add the meat balls to the sauce and cook for a further 5 minutes. Then add the frozen peas and mix and stir, till the peas are hot and the liquid is once again bubbling. Serve.

Wine? Through a combination of mismanagement and over consumption, I have a current paucity of Spanish wine. Never mind - the peas and tomato were capably washed down by few glasses of Coonawarra Cabernet.