Veal and Leek Meatballs
Delicious veal meatballs flavoured with a delicious mix of leek, Parmesan cheese and a touch of mustard. I also make a mustard pan sauce to serve with the meatballs, which is optional but easy to do and divine. I most recently served these meatballs with a parsnip and potato mash and roasted carrots, but they go nicely with many a side dish.
Ingredients
Serves: 4
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large leek, white and light green parts only, finely diced
- 1 shallot, finely diced
- 1 tablespoon brandy (optional)
- 4 tablespoons dried breadcrumbs
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- salt and black pepper, to taste
- 500g minced veal
- 1 egg
Directions
Preparation:25min ›
Cook:20min ›
Ready in:45min
- Heat half of the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the leek and shallot. Cook and stir until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the brandy to the pan, if using, and cook an additional minute or two until the alcohol evaporates. Remove from heat.
- Combine the breadcrumbs and milk in a large mixing bowl then stir well. Add the cheese, mustard, thyme, salt and pepper then mix.
- Add the veal mince and egg then mix with your hands until just combined. Roll into balls about the size of a large walnut.
- Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Once hot but not smoking, add the meatballs. Reduce heat to medium and cook, turning occasionally, till all sides are browned and the meatballs are no longer pink in the centre, about 10 to 15 minutes.
To Make a Mustard Pan Sauce
To make a pan sauce, remove the meatballs from the pan and keep warm in a moderate oven. Immediately add 2 to 3 tablespoons of brandy or white wine to the hot pan, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add 150ml chicken stock and 1 to 2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard; whisk well. Let the sauce simmer until reduced by about half, about 10 minutes. Finally, stir in 15g of cold butter until melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve the sauce with the meatballs over mash or rice.
