Lamb and Fennel Meatballs

A cracker of a recipe that is normally my request when I go home from my mum. This recipe originally started as a Good Housekeeping one, but has been adapted by my mum over the years and eventually passed down to me. Serve with redcurrant jelly, rice and some green bits! Sorry for weird photo angle, don’t think my boyfriend is ever going to make it as a food photographer!

Serves 6

1 hour

1kg lamb mince, 6 spring onions, 2 fennels, 100ml white wine, 100ml cream, 100ml yogurt, 100ml milk, lamb stock cube, corn flour, 3 cloves garlic, oil, salt, pepper, chilli flakes, cumin seeds, fennel seeds

Preheat oven to 180c. Start by blending together in a food processor the spring onions, lamb mince, 1tsp of fennel seeds, pinch of chilli flakes and salt and pepper (may need to do this is batches depending on the size of your blender). Once blended roll into walnut sized balls.

Using a large frying pan, pre heat a generous glug of oil. Add the meat balls and brown all over (again this may need to be done in batches). Don’t worry if they are not cooked all the way through, they will be going into the oven later. Once browned lift out the meat balls and rest. Turn the heat up to high and in the pan the meatballs have just cooked add 2tbsp of cumin seeds and pinch of chilli flakes. After about a minute add 1 tbsp of cornflour mix together and add a crushed stock cube. Add 100ml of wine and bring to the boil, once the liquid has halved, then add the yogurt and 100ml of water. You may need to add some more water here if it is looking a little dry. Bring to the boil, then add the meatballs, slice fennel and sauce into an oven proof dish and cook for 20 minutes, turning the meatballs halfway through (DON’T WASH THE PAN YET!).

After 20 minutes tip the sauce back into the pan and allow the sauce to simmer for 5 minutes, then add the cream and tip back into the meat balls.

Cook for a further 10-15 minutes, serve with rice or spaghetti and greens and it is really good with cranberry sauce/red currant jelly!

Mousaka

Ignore the rice on the top, under the strict instructions to use up the freezer I thought frozen rice were frozen breadcrumbs… However, once I had picked it off the underneath was delicious and will defiantly become a staple dish! I am fairly sure mine isn’t true to the traditional dish but it was pretty simple to make and substantial enough to serve with just a salad.

1.5 hours

aubergine, potato, onion, garlic, oil, tomato puree, tinned tomato, olives, lamb mince, milk, butter, plain flour, mild cheese, chilli flakes, cinnamon, cumin seeds, nutmeg, sugar, salt, pepper, oregano and bay leaves

Start by slicing 2 aubergines into cm wide slices, place on a baking tray with a little drizzle of oil and cook in the oven at 180 c for 10-15 minutes either side until soft and set aside when done. While the aubergine is cooking peel and slice 3 medium potatoes and par boil for 10 minutes until soft but not falling apart, drain and again set aside.

To make the meat part of the dish start by gently frying a large onion in a large high sided pan, once soft add 2 cloves of chopped garlic. Now for the herbs and spices add a pinch of chilli flakes, 1tsp cinnamon, 2tsp cumin seeds, 1tsp nutmeg, 1tsp oregano, 1tbsp sugar, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp of pepper and mix together. Add a generous squeeze of tomato puree and now add the mince. Cook on a medium heat until the mince is brown all over and add 1 tin of chopped tomatoes and a further tin half filled with water and mix together, finally throw in a few bay leaves. Bring to the boil then turn down to a low heat and allow to bubble away stirring occasionally until needed.

To make the white sauce melt 1tbsp of butter. Once melted mix in 2tbsp of flour, then add 300ml of milk. Turn up the heat to medium-high and whisk away. As the milk heats it should thicken, once all the flour is mixed in the white sauce is done and finally time for the assembly!

In a deep sided oven proof dish stack the aubergine and potato slices in alternate layers, next add the tomato lamb mixture on top making sure it can find its way between the potato and aubergine layers. Finally top with the white sauce and a sprinkle of cheese if you’d like. Cook in the oven for about 30-45 minutes until golden brown at 180c. Enjoy with a crisp salad.