These pork meatballs are the perfect meal on a hot summer’s day, with bright flavours of lemon, coriander and tarragon. The fried breadcrumbs are a particular delight – crispy, salty and fiery.
INGREDIENTS Serves 4
For the leeks
4 leeks, washed and cut into ½cm slices
50 g salted butter, melted
2 pinches ground chilli
Juice of 1 lemon
For the meatballs
750g minced pork
1 30 g tarragon, leaves finely chopped
1 30 g coriander, leaves finely chopped
1 red onion, peeled and finely diced
1½ teaspoons fine salt
20 g plain flour
1 large egg
For the breadcrumbs
90 g stale sourdough
90 g salted butter
A pinch of chilli powder, plus more to taste
Zest of 1 lemon
A pinch of salt
Heat the oven to 200C⁰
Put the leeks into a large roasting tin, then toss with the butter, chilli and lemon juice.
Mix the meatball ingredients in a large bowl. Form into 16-18 equal-sized balls, arrange these on top of the leeks, then bake for 20 minutes, until the meatballs are starting to brown on top.
While the meatballs and leeks are cooking, blitz the sourdough in a food processor to coarse breadcrumbs. Melt the butter in a frying pan until bubbling, then stir through the breadcrumbs. Cook over a medium heat for two minutes, then stir in the chilli powder and lemon zest, and cook for another minute, until the breadcrumbs are browned and crisp. Taste and add salt and more chilli to taste – they should have a satisfying, hot and salty kick to them.
When the meatballs are ready, scatter the crisp breadcrumbs on top and serve at once
Original Recipe Tamil Ray writing in the Guardian
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