Lightly spiced lamb meatballs with muhammara, feta and herby cous cous
Ready in less than 20 mins!
I know when you think of easy, low effort meals, meatballs might not be the first thing to spring to mind. But trust me, these couldn’t be easier, and it’s only a little bit of mixing and rolling that’s required to make the meat balls. Not nearly as much faff as you may think. So roll up your sleeves, wash your hands and give this one a go!
This is an unbelievable combination of flavours, which works so well and it’s all ready in less than 20 minutes.
You may be haunted by meatballs of the past, possibly from school canteens where they can be horrid and dry, but I assure you these lamb meatballs are going to be nothing like that. Succulent, juicy and packed full of flavour. They also freeze beautifully, so if you want to make a big batch, simply double the recipe, shape and roll, bung them in the freezer ready to fry off when you are next in need. There is nothing more satisfying than knowing you have delicious things lying in wait for you in the freezer.
I also think it’s the name “meatball” that isn’t the most appealing is it? But put any worries aside, these are so good. I use spices you likely already have in your cupboard, lean ground lamb, and lots of lemon . These are quick and easy to throw together and if you’re turned off by the idea of using lamb, which I think some people are but it has so much more flavour! That said, any ground meat can be used in place of the lamb, but I recommend meat that has a little fat on it because it’s the fat that has the flavour. If you try to make something like meatballs with lean 5% beef mince, you’re just never going to get great results.
I think sauce is key when it comes to meatballs, and traditionally you might go with a marinara or tomato based sauce for a beef or pork meatball but here we are using lamb mince and so I’ve gone with muhammara which works so beautifully. Last week with the cauliflower we served it with a romesco and now it’s the muhammar’s time to shine. From Aleppo, Syria, muhammara is a little spicier and sweeter than its Spanish cousin romesco. Both are so good, so versatile and can really zhush a dish up all in the time it takes to whizz up a blender.
Cous cous has to be one of the hardest working items in my kitchen cupboard. Masquerading as a grain, it’s technically a pasta but the fact that it cooks so quickly and is so easy to prepare makes it a really useful ingredient. It’s uniquely fluffy, versatile and delicious. I love it, tossed with lots of herbs, a squeeze of lemon, a little butter or olive oil. When you want supper on the table in double quick time, cous cous is your friend.
One of the important things for me with Dinner Tonight is giving you a complete dish. I never want to just give you meatballs, for example, and not at the same time tell you a delicious way to serve them. Dinner Tonight is meant to make your life easier, I want you to get the recipe in your inbox and be able to make it during the week without having to think about anything else.I’ve had so many lovely messages and emails with photos of the recipes you’ve all been making so far and honestly getting those messages makes my day! Dinner Tonight is my little passion project and it’s so exciting to see it grow, thank you so much for your support. For less than £1 a week you’re helping me more than you know.
Here are my top tips for getting the very best meatballs:
Mix your meatball mixture by hand so that you don’t overwork the meat
Use damp hands to roll your meatballs
Chill the meatballs if you can before cooking them - this gives the fat a chance to solidify which means they will hold their shape better. 10 - 20 mins mins ought to do the trick, just check they are cold to the touch
If you’re browning meatballs first, let them rest before adding to sauce so that they cool down and firm up. This makes them less likely to fall apart in the sauce.
When you add meatballs to a sauce, like a marinara, keep the sauce gently simmering and not a fierce bubble. You don’t want the meatballs to fall apart
Now, let me show you how to make these delicious lamb meatballs.
All the recipes on Dinner Tonight tend to be for 2 but since lamb mince comes in packs of 500g, this serves 4 or makes enough meatballs to put half in the freezer, or it makes left overs to have the next day.