Absolutely Amazing Albondigas! (Spanish Meatballs)
Yet another dish from my wine tasting night!
Spanish cuisine is firmly in my favourites and every time I order tapas I have to have a portion of albondigas. A couple of years ago I was lucky enough to go to Spain and live with a Spanish grandmother who took it upon herself to show me the ways of Spanish cooking. One lunch time she made albondigas for us and I've genuinely never looked back.
Albondigas are traditionally made with a mixture of pork and beef mince which definitely adds to the overall flavour and juiciness of the dish. The sauce is a celebration of all things Spanish, with parsley, paprika, garlic and saffron. A great recipe to introduce yourself into the wonders of Spanish food, which is easy to prepare in advance and will please almost anyone.
Absolutely Amazing Albondigas
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Serves 4 as a main or 12-14 as part of tapas
For the meatballs:
250g pork mince
250g beef mince
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tbsp dried parsley
3-4 tbsp breadcrumbs
1 egg, beaten
plain flour, for dusting
2-3 tbsp olive oil
For the sauce:
2 carrots, finely chopped
1/2 onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tbsp dried parsley
1 tbsp paprika
generous pinch of saffron
salt
For the meatballs, put the all the ingredients except the egg, flour and oil in a bowl and mix together with your hands. Add the beaten egg and continue to mix until well combined. Shape into small meatballs.
Sprinkle some flour onto a plate and and roll the meatballs around in it until coated
Heat one tablespoon of the olive oil in a frying pan and add a few meatballs to the pan. Fry gently, turning frequently, until golden-brown on all sides. Remove from the pan and set aside to drain on kitchen paper. Repeat with the remaining meatballs, cooking them in batches until they are all cooked. Top up the oil as needed during the cooking process.
Once the meatballs are cooked, make the sauce. In the same pan as the meatballs were cooked in, fry the carrots, onions and garlic over a medium heat until the onions are soft and lightly coloured. Add the parsley, paprika and saffron, and pour in 300ml/½pt water. Bring to the boil, simmer for 2-3 minutes to thicken, season with salt to taste, and then add the meatballs to the pan. Simmer for 10 minutes to warm through before serving.
TIP: If preparing this dish in advance, make the meatballs and leave in the fridge overnight. Also make the sauce, put in a jug and leave in the fridge overnight too. Then follow the instructions as above from step 3.
Spanish cuisine is firmly in my favourites and every time I order tapas I have to have a portion of albondigas. A couple of years ago I was lucky enough to go to Spain and live with a Spanish grandmother who took it upon herself to show me the ways of Spanish cooking. One lunch time she made albondigas for us and I've genuinely never looked back.
Albondigas are traditionally made with a mixture of pork and beef mince which definitely adds to the overall flavour and juiciness of the dish. The sauce is a celebration of all things Spanish, with parsley, paprika, garlic and saffron. A great recipe to introduce yourself into the wonders of Spanish food, which is easy to prepare in advance and will please almost anyone.
Absolutely Amazing Albondigas
.JPG)
Serves 4 as a main or 12-14 as part of tapasFor the meatballs:
250g pork mince
250g beef mince
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tbsp dried parsley
3-4 tbsp breadcrumbs
1 egg, beaten
plain flour, for dusting
2-3 tbsp olive oil
For the sauce:
2 carrots, finely chopped
1/2 onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tbsp dried parsley
1 tbsp paprika
generous pinch of saffron
salt
For the meatballs, put the all the ingredients except the egg, flour and oil in a bowl and mix together with your hands. Add the beaten egg and continue to mix until well combined. Shape into small meatballs.
Sprinkle some flour onto a plate and and roll the meatballs around in it until coated
Heat one tablespoon of the olive oil in a frying pan and add a few meatballs to the pan. Fry gently, turning frequently, until golden-brown on all sides. Remove from the pan and set aside to drain on kitchen paper. Repeat with the remaining meatballs, cooking them in batches until they are all cooked. Top up the oil as needed during the cooking process.
Once the meatballs are cooked, make the sauce. In the same pan as the meatballs were cooked in, fry the carrots, onions and garlic over a medium heat until the onions are soft and lightly coloured. Add the parsley, paprika and saffron, and pour in 300ml/½pt water. Bring to the boil, simmer for 2-3 minutes to thicken, season with salt to taste, and then add the meatballs to the pan. Simmer for 10 minutes to warm through before serving.
TIP: If preparing this dish in advance, make the meatballs and leave in the fridge overnight. Also make the sauce, put in a jug and leave in the fridge overnight too. Then follow the instructions as above from step 3.
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