Meatballs and Fava beans in Green herb sauce
Mediterranean fresh herbs spring meatballs
Fava beans meatballs
The flavors of this dish lean Mediterranean, towards Moroccan cuisine — though the spices and herbs can be found in Greece, Bulgaria, Tunisia, Israel, and any other country that makes use of fresh herbs and a beef and lamb mix.For better flavor, I keep the meat mix in the fridge overnight. That's the only way it properly absorbs the seasoning from the spices, making the taste deep and rich.
Peeling the fava beans for this dish takes about 20 minutes. If you're not into spending quality time peeling, go for the frozen version — but try the fresh version once. For me, it's a bit like meditating. Doing a repetitive action for a while really puts your mind on neutral.Cooking the meatballs
In many meatball recipes, it's popular to sear them in a pan to get a firm crust and a nice color. If you're into that, by all means go for it — but in my opinion it's a complete waste of time, and it makes your kitchen smoky and smelly. I just throw the meatballs straight into the sauce, as is. Trust me, they'll be firm and tender. Searing doesn't affect the tenderness, and I don't care too much about color — I'm into flavor. Try my version; you'll thank me.
Method
- 1
making the meatballs mix· 10 minutes
In a big mixing bowl, mix the lamb and beef, add the egg, salt, pepper, cumin and mix until fully absorbed in the meat. In a bowl of a food processor, place the onion, pulse for a minute until almost in a paste consistency, add the soaked bread slices and parsley, pulse until becomes a grainy paste and add to the meat. Mix well until the meat blend is smooth, cover with a plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight.
- 2
making the sauce· 1 hour
Set a big saucepan over medium-high heat, pour the olive oil, sauté the onions until transparent for 3 minutes, add the garlic and cook for another minute. Pour the chicken stock, add half of the fava beans and half of the coriander and mint, bring into a gentle simmer, reduce heat to low and cook for 1/2 hour. Using a hand blender, grind the sauce roughly, we are not looking for a smooth sauce, do not grind it until smooth, we are looking for another texture in the sauce and to integrate flavors better. Add the remaining fava beans and cook for another 1/2 an hour.
- 3
adding the meatballs and finishing the cooking· 1 hour
Take out the meatballs mix out of the fridge, make small balls with your hands about a ping-pong size (40g/ 1½oz. size), and throw directly into the saucepan. Cover the lid and cook for another hour.
- 4
Serving the meatballs
Take out the meatballs and drizzle with a little olive oil above, serve with rice.
Jaron Kimhi
Jaron Kimhi — self-taught home cook from Tel Aviv, writing and cooking every recipe on this site himself. 20+ years of tinkering in the kitchen, leaning toward slow cooking, classic technique, and honest ingredients.
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