Turkey and Sweetcorn Meatballs with Roasted Pepper Sauce

This recipe comes from a wonderful cookbook called "Ottolenghi". That is the name of a restaurant/deli/bakery in Notting Hill. It is owned and operated by two men both from Israel...one is Jewish and one is Palestinian. I first heard of them while reading an article about them in the January issue of Gourmet, I loved what I read and saw and I have since gotten their cookbook. It is wonderful...the name is "Ottolenghi". Of course the recipes are written with British measurements...but it is easy to figure out the American equivalents. I use a scale that gives me metric as well as the American equivalents.

We really enjoyed this recipe. It just has that lovely Middle-Eastern feel. I served it with couscous and a little Mediterranean salad....I had some pita in the freezer do we had some of that as well. The sauce is simply wonderful. I found the recipe made enough sauce for two batches of meatballs. My kids were making pita /meatball sandwiches out of it....quite delicious!
here is a link to the Gourmet article...really interesting.
Ottolenghi


Turkey and Sweetcorn Meatballs with Roasted Pepper Sauce
serves 4

100g sweetcorn kernels (fresh or frozen)
3 slices of stale white bread, crusts removed
500g minced organic turkey breast
1 free range egg
4 spring onions, finely chopped ( scallions or green onions work well)
2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
2 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp black pepper
1 garlic clove, crushed
sunflower oil for frying





Roasted pepper sauce
4 red peppers
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
25g coriander, leaves and stalks ( cilantro)(a nice handful!)
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 small mild chile, de-seeded( I used about 1/3 of a mild jalapeno because that was what I had)
2 tbsp sweet chile sauce (an Asian or Thai sweet chile sauce)
tbsp cider vinegar or white wine vinegar



1. Preheat the oven to 200c/ gas mark 6/400*F. To prepare the peppers for the sauce, quarter them with a sharp knife and shave off the white parts and the seeds. Put them in a roasting tray and toss with 2 tbsp of the olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, then roast in the oven for 35 minutes or until soft. Transfer the peppers to a bowl and cover with cling film. Once they have cooled down a little, you can peel them, although it isn't necessary for this sauce. In any case, place them in a blender or food processor with their roasting juices and add the rest of the sauce ingredients. Process until smooth, then taste and adjust the salt if necessary. Set aside.


2. For the meatballs, place a heavy, non-stick frying pan over a high heat and throw in the corn kernels. Toss them in the hot pan for 2-3 minutes until lightly blackened. Remove and leave to cool.


3. Soak the bread in cold water for a minute, then squeeze well and crumble into a large bowl. Add all the rest of the ingredients except the sunflower oil and mix well with your hands.


4. Pour a 5mm depth of sunflower oil into your heavy frying pan. Allow it to heat up well and then fry about a teaspoonful of the mince mix in it. Remove, let cool a little and then taste. Adjust the amount of salt and pepper in the uncooked mixture to your liking.


5. With wet hands, shape the mince mix into balls, about the size of golf balls. Cook them in small batches in the hot oil, turning them around in the pan until they are golden brown allover. Transfer to an oven tray, place in the oven at 200c/400*F and cook for about 5 minutes. When you press one with your finger, the meat should bounce back. If unsure, break one open to check that it is cooked inside. Serve hot or warm, with the pepper sauce on the side.