Meatballs in tomato sauce

Albóndigas en salsa de tomate

SERVES 4

1 large brown onion, roughly chopped

2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

500 g (1 lb 2 oz) minced (ground) beef

1 teaspoon sea salt flakes

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 egg white (free-range)

2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley, plus extra for serving

olive oil, for frying

crusty bread, to serve

FOR THE TOMATO SAUCE

800 g (1 lb 12 oz) tinned chopped tomatoes

1 tablespoon tomato paste (concentrated purée)

2 garlic cloves, crushed

red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon sea salt flakes

2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

To make the tomato sauce, put the tomatoes into a large saucepan with the tomato paste, garlic, a dash of vinegar and the salt. Cook over medium heat with the lid on, stirring often, for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat, sprinkle with the parsley and set aside.

To make the meatballs, put the onion and garlic in a food processor and process to a paste, or chop extremely finely.

Put the onion paste into a large bowl with the beef mince, salt, pepper, cumin, egg white and parsley. Using your hands, or the kneading blade on low speed in an electric mixer, massage the ingredients together for 10 minutes to tenderise.

With slightly wet hands, roll tablespoonfuls of the mixture into well-compacted meatballs.

Heat a large dash of olive oil in a non-stick frying pan over high heat. Cook the meatballs for 2–3 minutes, or until just browned on all sides.

Warm the pan with the sauce over medium–low heat. Transfer the browned meatballs to the pan with the sauce, reduce the heat to low and cook for 10 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through.

Scatter over the extra parsley and serve with crusty bread.