Moroccan Lemon and Cardamom Meatballs in Garlic Tahini Sauce
Description
Freshen up your meatball recipe with these Moroccan inspired meatballs. They are simply amazing and completely different from your old favorite.
Ingredients
Meatballs:
1 lb. ground lamb (ground chicken or turkey can be substituted)
1/2 medium red onion, very finely minced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled, finely grated
1/4 c. plain dry bread crumbs
1 large egg, well beaten
handful of fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped
handful of fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
handful of fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
zest of 2 lemons
1/2 c. pine nuts
1/2 c. fresh feta cheese, finely crumbled
1 t. salt
1 t. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 t. cinnamon
1 t. freshly toasted and ground cardamom-see below
olive oil, for frying
Sauce:
2/3 c. tahini
freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon
3/4 t. salt
warm water
Garnish:
pine nuts
chopped parsley, cilantro, or mint
sprinkling of smoked paprika
Directions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place meat, onion, garlic, ginger, bread crumbs, beaten egg, herbs, lemon zest, pine nuts, feta cheese, cinnamon, cardamom, salt and pepper into a large bowl. Mix lightly with fingertips, getting ingredients evenly distributed and not compacting the meat.
Form walnut sized meatballs. This can be done several hours ahead of time if wanted. Make sure to cover meat completely with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.
Coat the bottom of a heavy pan with olive oil; heat until hot. Work in batches to not overcrowd the pan; brown the meatballs on all sides. Add more oil, if necessary.
Place browned meatballs on a baking sheet; bake about 12 minutes, or until cooked through. (Ground lamb should be cooked to about 170 F.)
Meanwhile, make the sauce. Mix the tahini and lemon juice, adding enough water to make a thin sauce; salt, to taste.
Serve hot from the oven, nestled in the sauce, garnished with pine nuts, herbs, and a sprinkling of paprika on top of rice, quinoa, or orzo pasta, if desired.
5 servings.
**Remove seeds from cardamom pods by lightly crushing pods with a rolling pin to open them, then remove the black seeds and toast in a dry pan over medium heat for several minutes, moving the seeds constantly, until fragrant. Lastly, grind them with a spice or coffee grinder.