Marrakech Meatballs
By Sarah Burnett
Sarah's grandmother grew up in North Africa before moving to Greece and this is her Marrakech meatball recipe.
Ingredients
325g each of Minced lamb and beef
2 eggs
800g Chopped tomatoes, passata or fresh tomato soup
2 large onions
Flat leaf parsley
2 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Ras-el-Hanout
½ Bottle red wine
Seasoning
Flour to dust
Olive for frying
Preparation
Put the lamb mince in a bowl and make a well in the centre. Put salt, pepper, 1 tsp of the cumin, the Ras-el-Hanout and both the eggs into the well.
Mix everything together until a uniform consistency is achieved. Make oval meatballs, no greater than 2cm in size. Roll each in flour and set aside.
Shallow fry the meatballs in batches, until they are browned. When each batch is ready, transfer to a slow cooker, or casserole dish which can go in the oven. Keep the oil in the pan.
Pour the tomatoes over the meatballs in the casserole, and add the other tsp of cumin.
Slice both the onions and fry until lightly brown, using the oil from the meatballs. Using a slotted spoon, layer the onions over the meatballs.
Deglaze the pan with the red wine, and when reduced to about half, add this to the pot.
Place the lid firmly on the pot, and set at a low heat. Cook for at least an hour, but the dish can stay on the heat for hours, if necessary.
Serve with a salad, cous cous, or flatbreads.