Lamb Meatballs with Spicy Tomato Sauce and Moroccan Couscous
*Please note that this photo was taken from Delicious Magazine a fantastic website with great recipes! The photos of my meal unfortunately had horrible lighting as I am still just getting started. Photo credit should go to their photographer!*
This week is all about using what is already in our fridge and freezer to ensure as little food waste in our home as possible. Yesterday also happened to be the first official day of triple digit weather here in Austin. So we were in the mood for something light, spicy and acidic.
My partner and I both tend to build a meal around a protein. This method helps us both cook a meal with balanced flavors.
We had recently done a Costco run and have roughly ten individually packaged frozen chicken breasts and frozen pork tenderloins. Neither sounded like the right protein option for last night.
Digging through the freezer, I found 1lb of frozen ground lamb and was immediately inspired! One of the restaurants where I used to wait tables and tend bar had an incredible lamb meatball appetizer in a tomato sauce with whipped ricotta and mint. I know this may sound heavy, but as an appetizer, this dish can be quite refreshing with the acidity and spiciness of both the sauce and the meatballs themselves, and the mint and ricotta garnish.
I never was able to get the exact recipe for these meatballs from the chef I worked with, but as a server, I was made to know the list of ingredients used and have been able to decently replicate this dish several times.
As I mentioned, we are focusing on using what is already in our fridge this week. We do not have ricotta nor do we have mint. So I started doing some digging online looking for what might be a good substitute that would still provide that touch of light refreshment to the dish. I found this Moroccan Lamb Meatballs recipe on recipetineats.com. The ingredients for the lamb meatballs themselves are relatively similar to the ones I use. Nagi, the author of the recipe, however suggests yogurt instead of whipped ricotta. This was kind of an “aha!” moment for me as much Moroccan and Middle Eastern recipes include yogurt as a means to lighten and refresh a dish.
As it so happens, we do have yogurt in our fridge! So, first part of the problem solved! But Nagi’s recipe still calls for mint in the yogurt and we still do not have mint. We do however have tons of leftover fresh basil from last week and I thought this might be a good replacement- it’s refreshing, has a delightful flavor, and most importantly, I don’t want it to go to waste- second part of the problem solved!
Next, as I mentioned, lamb meatballs as an appetizer can be quite refreshing. However, served as an entree, it can be quite heavy. Due to the heat in Austin, I wanted to keep our dinner nice and light. I thought what better to go with lamb meatballs with Moroccan spices than some nice, light couscous?? I used XXX couscous and basically followed the instructions on the packaging for the “Moroccan Couscous” recipe they provide. However, instead of raisins (again, we don’t have raisins), I used pomegranate seeds, which I had half of a small container of still.
Below is my resulting recipe:
Yogurt (inspired by Nagi’s recipe on recipetineats.com):
3/4 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup (tightly packed) basil leaves
2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp cooking/kosher salt
1-2 tbsp olive oil
Lamb Meatballs:
1 lb ground lamb
1 shallot diced
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs (sub ordinary)
1 egg
2 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
1 1/2 tsp EACH cumin, coriander, paprika (any, but I like smoked paprika)
1/2 tsp EACH cinnamon, ginger
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp cooking/kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
Tomato Sauce:
2 tbsp canola oil
1 shallot
2 cloves garlic
3 tsp za’atar seasoning
1 tsp EACH of coriander, cumin, ginger
1/2 tsp of cinnamon
red pepper flakes to taste (I typically use roughly 3 tsp)
salt and black pepper to taste
2-3 plum tomatoes roughly diced
1 can san Marzano whole peeled tomatoes with the juices
Couscous:
1 shallot finely chopped
2 tbsp butter (salted or unsalted, whatever is your preference/in your fridge)
XX cumin
2 cups chicken or veggie stock
1/2 cup couscous
lemon juice
pomegranate seeds
pistachios
Instructions:
First, make the yogurt. Place the basil leaves, lemon juice, salt pepper and olive oil in a food processor and process until the leaves are broken up and the ingredients are well mixed (about 2 minutes).
Scrape the greens mixture into the yogurt, stir and add more salt and peeper to taste (I didn’t need to add any more, but everyone’s tastebuds are different!) and set aside in the fridge until you are ready to serve.
Next, get started on your couscous. Chop you shallots finely. Melt the butter in a skillet and add the shallots. Sautee on medium low heat for roughly 10 min.
Add the cumin and the chicken or veggie stock and turn the heat up to high.
Once the liquid is starting to boil, add your couscous, turn the heat off and cover. Let this sit for 10 min.
After 10 min has passed, take the cover off and lightly fluff the couscous. Place the lid back on the skillet and let sit until you are ready to serve.
Now it’s time to prep your meatballs-
Add all of the meatball ingredients to a medium medium mixing bowl.
Using your hands, massage the ingredients until they are all mixed evenly throughout the ground lamb. Let the mixture rest as you turn your attention to making the sauce.
In a separate skillet or medium sized pan, heat the olive oil for the tomato sauce. Add the shallots and sauté on low heat for roughly 5 min, stirring occasionally.
Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 min.
Add your diced tomatoes and all of the spices (za’atar, coriander, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper) and sauté for 3 min, stirring occasionally.
Add the canned tomatoes with their juices. Turn the heat up to medium and sauté for roughly 5 min stirring occasionally then turn the heat back to low and let your sauce continue to simmer.
**Depending on how much liquid you like your sauce to have, you may want to cover your sauce pan with the lid slightly askew to trap in most of the liquid while allowing the appropriate amount of steam to still escape your pan.
Lastly, time to make your meatballs!
Scoop out an ice cream scooper size of the meat mixture and roll it into a ball. Repeat this step until you have used all of your meat.
Heat a skillet or fry pan over medium to medium high heat and cover just the bottom of the pan with canola oil.
Once the oil is hot (you can test this by wetting your hand and letting the water droplets fall into the oil. If the oil sizzles, it’s hot and ready!), place each meatball in the pan leaving enough room to flip each ball.
Allow each meatball to sear for roughly 1-2 minutes and then turn each ball onto its opposite side. You will know the meatballs have seared fro long enough when there is a nice brown sear on each ball where it was touching the oil.
I repeat this step so the balls are seared on 4 sides almost as if they were square blocks even though they are round balls.
Once you have seared the meatballs, transfer them to the tomato sauce. Turn the tomato sauce up to medium to medium high heat. Stir the meatballs in the sauce a few times to ensure all of the meatballs get covered in the sauce. Once the tomato sauce starts to bubble once more, turn the heat to medium low and cover the sauce pan with a lid.
Allow the meatballs and sauce to simmer for 10-15 min.
While the meatballs are simmering in the sauce, uncover the couscous once more. Squeeze your lemon juice over the couscous and mix it to ensure the lemon can be tasted evenly throughout.
Now you may begin to plate your meal.
Divide the couscous onto 2 plates. Sprinkle pomegranate seeds and pistachios on top of the couscous.
Scoop out 2-3 meatballs per plate and the amount of tomato sauce you would like to include. Then remove the yogurt from the fridge, place 1-2 dollops of the yogurt on each meatball.
Finish with a tiny sprinkle of coarse sea salt and black pepper and serve!