Lamb Meatballs with Quinoa with English Peas, Apricots, and Yogurt Sauce
Prep Time
25 min.
Prep Notes
The ingredients list looks long, but the meatballs are very easy to assemble. To make ahead: The night before, prep all the vegetables, herbs, and dried fruit, and cook the quinoa and the meatballs. When it's time to fix dinner, bring the quinoa up to room temperature, toss in the goods, and gently reheat the meatballs in a low oven, covered. Ideally, your peas will be so fresh and young that they need no cooking, but if they taste starchy, blanch them in boiling salted water for about 1 minute.
Cooking Time
15 min
Yields
4
Ingredients
Yogurt sauce
1 cup plain whole-milk or low-fat yogurt (not Greek)
3 scallions, trimmed (including 1/2 inch off the green tops), finely sliced on a sharp angle, soaked in ice water for 20 minutes, and drained well
1/4 cup chopped mint leaves
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon dried chile flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Quinoa
8 dried apricots, cut into bits
1/4 cup white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar
1/4 cup warm water
1 cup cooked quinoa
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 large scallions, trimmed (including 1/2 inch off the green tops), sliced on a sharp angle, soaked in ice water for 20 minutes, and drained well
1/2 cup lightly packed mint leaves
2 pounds English peas (2 cups peas)
1/2 cup roughly chopped toasted almonds
Meatballs
1 pound ground lamb
3 scallions, trimmed (including 1/2 inch off the green tops), finely chopped
1/4 cup lightly packed chopped mint leaves
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dry white wine
1/4 cup soft fresh breadcrumbs
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 egg
Directions
- For the yogurt sauce: Stir together the yogurt, scallions, mint, garlic, chile flakes, and salt and black pepper to taste in a small bowl. Taste and adjust the chile flakes, salt, and black pepper. Let the sauce rest for at least 30 minutes so the flavors can develop.
- For the quinoa: Rinse quinoa, drain. Cook in 2 cups water or vegetable broth. Bring to a boil the simmer covered for 20 mim. Put the apricots in a small bowl with the vinegar and water. Soak until they are plumped, at least 30 minutes, then drain thoroughly.
- Fluff the quinoa. Add the lemon juice and 1/4 cup olive oil, and season generously with salt and pepper. Toss thoroughly and let cool to room temperature.
- Add the apricots, scallions, mint, peas, and almonds. Toss lightly, taste for seasoning, and add more salt, pepper, lemon, or olive oil. Set aside.
- For the meatballs: Heat the oven to 450°F.
- Break the ground lamb into smallish chunks and put in a large bowl. Sprinkle the scallions, mint, cumin, salt, cayenne, wine, and breadcrumbs over the meat. Gently work the ingredients to blend them, by pushing and folding with your fingers. You want to be as gentle as possible in order to not make tough, compact meatballs. Once the ingredients are mostly blended, take a small spoonful of the mixture and fry it in a small skillet or pot. Taste the cooked sample for seasoning, then add more of whatever is needed, especially salt. You want the meatballs to be quite savory and highly seasoned.
- Once you've adjusted the seasoning, whisk a small glug of olive oil and the egg together, pour it over the meat, and work it in using the same gentle method.
- Divide the meat into 4 piles, then divide each pile into 4, and shape each piece into a nice ball (to make a total of 16 meatballs). Arrange all the meatballs on a rimmed baking sheet (to catch any fat or juices during cooking).
- Bake the meatballs until they are no longer pink in the center, 8 to 10 minutes (test one by gently prying it apart . . . you can just press it back together to serve).
- To serve, divide the quinoa among 4 large shallow bowls. Top each portion with 4 meatballs and a nice drizzle of yogurt sauce. Pass more sauce at the table.
Credit
Six Seasons by Joshua McFadden