Homemade meatballs

Spaghetti and meatballs. Homemade comfort food that is up there with macaroni cheese. My parents live next to a great butchers shop in Cornwall, and whenever they’re coming to visit I put in an order for a portion of their meatballs. The quality compared to the packaged supermarket versions is undeniable.

But when there are no Cornish meatballs winging their way to you, and you have a craving for some authentic American cuisine (you will not, unfortunately, find spaghetti with meatballs in Italy), there’s only one thing to do. Make your own. 

This recipe for everyday homemade meatballs from Smitten Kitchen is perfect. I halved the ingredients to make enough for 2, but otherwise pretty much stuck to the recipe. I did switch up the tomato sauce with some different ingredients though; my version is below.

Serves 2 (generously) Makes approx 16 1.5 inch meatballs

You’ll need:

For the meatballs:

• 500g minced beef – not lean or it will be too dry
• ¼ cup panko or bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon grated parmigiano reggiano
• 1 teaspoon ground salt
• Pinch of crushed chillis/red pepper flakes
• A couple grinds of black pepper
• ¼onion, finely chopped (you’ll use the rest in the sauce) or ¼ teaspoon of onion powder
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 egg

For the tomato sauce and spaghetti:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ¾ onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 red chilli, diced
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon dried basil
• 1 400g can tomato passata or crushed tomatoes
• 1 beef stock cube
• Dash of balsamic vinegar
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 300g spaghetti
  

Place all of your meatball ingredients into a large bowl and mix together using a fork until evenly combined. 

Using your hands, form the mixture into 1.5 inch meatballs and place on a tray. You should have enough to make around 16 meatballs. You’ll want them to all be a similar size so that they cook at the same rate.

If you have time, cover the tray in cling film and put in the fridge for 30 mins to help the meatballs set and maintain their shape when cooking.

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil and then add the onion, garlic and red chilli. Mix in the thyme and basil, then cover with a lid and leave to simmer on a low heat for 5 minutes. 

Add the tomatoes, followed by the stock cube and vinegar. Mix everything together. Cover and leave to simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add grinds of black pepper to your taste.

Add the meatballs gently to the sauce one at a time, to prevent them losing their shape. Keep the heat at a low simmer, and cover the pan with a lid. Do not disturb for 20 mins, or you risk your meatballs breaking up!

After 20 mins, give the meatballs and tomato sauce mixture a stir. At this stage it should be almost ready; keep it on a low heat whilst you cook the spaghetti.

Boil a large pan of salted water and cook the spaghetti to packet instructions. Once cooked, drain and return to the pan. Now add 3-4 ladles of the tomato sauce mixture into the spaghetti, and stir to evenly coat. 

Now plate up the spaghetti, and place the meatballs on top. Add extra sauce on top to your preference.

Homemade yorkshire puddings 101

Light, airy, and bigger than your head (almost)

A roast really isn’t a roast without Yorkshire puddings. And I don’t just mean roast beef. Chicken too, or any other meat for that matter.

The Telegraph published this article debating whether Yorkshire’s should be served with anything other than roast beef. The poll at the bottom of the page overwhelmingly shows that YES – we should be eating Yorkshire’s with everything! The public has spoken. Phew.

Not that any of us actually needed permission to stuff these puffy clouds of dough into our mouths with a side of gravy and meat each Sunday.

But the real question is, are you making your own or throwing a dozen Aunt Bessies in the oven?

I’m not condemning an occasional shortcut, but homemade Yorkshire’s really are the easiest thing if you have the right recipe, and they’re infinitely better than the frozen versions.

As for the right recipe? It’s this one from the BBC.

I’ve been using it for years now and it’s never failed. I used it the first time I ever made them, and they were perfect. In a rustic, uneven yorkshire pudding type of way. Crisp on the outside, light and airy on the inside.

If you’ve never tried making your own, I urge you to do this next time. You’ll wonder why you ever ate those chewy frozen versions.

4 simple ingredients, resulting in golden, puffy, well risen puddings.

• 140g plain flour 
• 4 eggs 
• 200ml milk
• sunflower oil, for cooking

The recipe makes 12 puddings so I usually halve it if I’m cooking for two. Adjust to suit your needs.

Simply pour your flour in a bowl and beat the eggs in until smooth. Gradually add the milk and continue mixing until the mixture is lump free. Season with salt and pepper to taste and pour the batter into a jug. Leave to rest until ready to go in the oven. Preparation: complete!

Drizzle half a teaspoon of sunflower oil into each hole of a pudding tray (I use a muffin one) – 12 if you’re making the full recipe, or 6 if you’ve halved it.

If your oven is small and you’re cooking a roast, like me you may not have enough room for the tin until you take the meat out of the oven. No worries – take the meat out, cover with foil and leave to rest on the side – it’ll taste better rested anyway.

If your oven is already on, turn it up to 230/fan 210 (if not, preheat 10 mins before). Put your pudding tray in the top shelf of the oven to heat (around 10 mins).

Now take the tray out of the oven and pour the batter evenly into each of the oiled holes. If your oil is hot enough it will sizzle – this is what you’re looking for!

Place the tray back in the oven and leave undisturbed – the recipe says for 20-25 mins but this will depend on your own oven. For me by around 15 minutes they’re done.

Don’t be tempted to open the oven door, especially in the first 10 minutes of cooking – the air you let in will cause the puddings to deflate and sink.

Remove from the oven once nicely puffed up and browned.

Once cooled, you can freeze for up to a month. Or they’re equally great reheated the next day with leftover roast potatoes, veg and meat for a quick and easy lunch (if not the most healthy!)