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Lamb and Prune Meatballs (Boulettes D’Agneau Aux Pruneaux)

(recipe, Clotilde Dusoulier)


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Introduction

Serve these meatballs with couscous and a cup of Greek-style yogurt for dipping.

Ingredients

  1. 1 lb. ground lamb meat, preferably from the shoulder
  2. 12 good-quality prunes, sometimes called dried plums, pitted and finely chopped
  3. 2 small shallots, finely chopped
  4. 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
  5. ¼ cup (packed) fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped, plus a few for garnish
  6. 1 Tbsp. (packed) freshly grated and finely minced orange zest, from about 2 organic oranges
  7. ¼ tsp. allspice
  8. 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  9. 1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  10. ½ tsp. fine sea salt
  11. ¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper

Steps

  1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the meat, prunes, shallots, garlic, parsley, orange zest, allspice, egg, the 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix well with a fork. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 8 hours. (If you don’t have that kind of time, refrigerate for just 10 minutes.)
  2. Remove the bowl from the refrigerator. Wash your hands well and keep them damp. Scoop out rounded tablespoons of the mixture and roll them into balls between your palms. Set aside in a single layer on two plates until you’ve used up all the meat. Wash your hands thoroughly again.
  3. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add half of the meatballs in a single layer without crowding. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring the meatballs gently around the pan to brown them all over. Set aside on a clean plate and cover with foil while you cook the second batch. Return the first batch to the pan, cover and reheat for 2 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle with parsley, and serve with couscous and Greek-style yogurt.