Every Christmas I make meat balls in cranberry sauce. It is really a regular in my kitchen at the end of the year. The funny thing is that when presented with the idea of the dish, hundred on hundred who have not sampled it before ask,’ won’t it be too sweet?’ This is a very predictable response. One has to only try it to feel its surprise element. No kidding, it is a truly delicious celebratory addition to a Christmas brunch table.
My food word for this recipe would be pleasantly surprising.
When you go out shopping look for;
For the meat balls
Half kilo meat mince
2 red onions
Ginger garlic paste
2 green chillies
Bread crumbs
Dry cranberries
Bar-b-que sauce
Salt
Pepper
2 eggs
For the cranberry sauce
Dried cranberries
Fresh parsley
Brown sugar
The recipe would be;
For the meat balls – wash the minced meal well. Marinate with a tbsp full of ginger garlic paste, salt to taste, a tbsp of pepper powder and one tbsp of bar-b-que sauce. Keep it overnight in the fridge. On the next day take out the marinated meat and finely chop two red onions and lightly fry them until they are pink. Allow them to arrive at room temperature. Mix the onions nicely into the meat. Finely chopped two green chillies and add to the meet. Now add about half cup bread crumbs and fold in nicely into the meat. Make balls with your palm inserting one cranberry into each ball in the centre and store in the fridge. This step with give a solid structure to your balls. After at least two hours egg wash each ball with beaten egg and coat all over with crumbs. Again keep in the fridge for at least an hour. Next fry the balls and set aside.
For the cranberry sauce- take half a cup of cranberries, one and a half cup of water and one tbsp brown sugar. Allow this to boil for about ten minutes. Now strain the sauce and ensure you keep the liquid aside. Once the boiled cranberries arrive at room temperature blitz it to get a coarse paste. Add to the liquid you had set aside. Simmer for five more minutes and drop the meat balls into it. Allow this to simmer for three more minutes.
Before serving finely chop fresh parsley and fold the herb generously into your meat balls in the gravy.
