Gordon Ramsay's Spanish Meatballs

I came across this recipe when trawling through Gordon's Indian chapter a couple of weeks back for our prawn madras. At the time I made a mental note to try this dish as it seemed pretty straight forward and we have been trying a number of similar meatball style recipes lately so I thought I would give his a go.  It took a lot long than I had anticipated, what with firming up the meatballs and due to my pan choice things took a little longer to get going.  We had nowhere to be so it didn't phase us overly much and it gave Wil a chance to pick up some garlic bread as an accompaniment, of course!  

These were a pretty tasty version, and the chilling & firming step was killer advice that I'll try and remember for next time. These were certainly the most tasty of the meatballs we've made lately and I think I even prefer this with bread alongside to the regular spaghetti and meatballs so I think I may have found a new staple. They were completely different to the Mexican albondigas of a few weeks back (these are also known as albondigas in Spanish) as they were served in a sauce rather than a broth and I think my verdict would be that they are both awesome, but very different ways of curing a rumbly tummy. I would highly suggest giving these a go - there's nothing tricky about them and there's nothing to say you couldn't throw this dish over your favourite pasta if you were so inclined!

500g good-quality ground beef

1 onion, peeled and minced very finely

1 garlic clove, peeled and minced

3/4 cup white bread crumbs

50g Manchego (or cheddar) cheese, grated

2 tbsp chopped Italian parsley, plus extra to finish

sea salt and black pepper

1 large egg, lightly beaten

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, peeled and minced very finely

1 garlic clove, peeled and minced

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 x 14oz (400g) cans chopped tomatoes

generous 1/3 cup water

1-2 tbsp superfine sugar

To make the meatballs, mix the beef, onion, garlic, bread crumbs, cheese and chopped parsley together in a large bowl until evenly combined. Season well and add the beaten egg to bind, mixing with your hands. With damp hands, shape the mixture into about 16 meatballs, trying not to press them too tightly. Place on a large plate, cover with plastic wrap, and chill for at least 30 minutes to allow them to firm up.

Meanwhile, make the tomato sauce.  Heat the olive oil, add the onion and garlic and cook gently until lightly golden. Increase the heat slightly and pour in the wine. Let bubble until reduced by half, then add the tomatoes, water and sugar. Season then simmer for 10-15 minutes until the tomatoes are soft, then remove from the heat.

To cook the meatballs, heat the oil in a large, wide pan. Add the chilled meatballs and pan fry about 5 minutes, turning frequently to brown all over. Pour the tomato sauce over them and simmer another 10-15 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through.  

Divide the meatballs and sauce between warm bowls and sprinkle with chopped parsley to serve.