These meatballs were just a bit off the cuff on a Friday night faffing about in the kitchen. I had a packet of goat mince and made it up as I went along. They turned out to be an absolute triumph, and one that I have continued to make frequently. I flavour the meatballs with fennel and coriander seeds, roast them and toss them in a roast tomato and red pepper sauce; it’s so delicious! If you haven’t had much goat in the past I would highly recommend it – it’s not as strong as lamb or beef, just a really delicate, beautiful flavour.
SERVES 2-3
• 200g tomatoes on the vine
• olive oil, for cooking
• salt and pepper
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 1 slice of slightly stale sourdough bread, crusts removed
• 2 tbsp milk
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
• 400g minced goat meat
• 1/2 onion, peeled and finely chopped, plus 1 onion, peeled and sliced
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and grated
• 1 red pepper, thinly sliced
• butter, for cooking
• chopped sage, for topping
EQUIPMENT
• baking tray
• blender or food processor
• pestle and mortar
Alternatives
lamb
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6.
Cut the tomatoes into quarters and pop them into a baking tray. Add a generous splash of olive oil, a pinch of salt, the sugar and some black pepper, mix well and then pop them in the oven for 30 minutes, or until they start to look a bit sticky and caramelized. Keep an eye on them as all tomatoes differ. You want it to start to colour and most of the water to cook away.
When the tomatoes are done, tip them into a small blender and blitz until smooth. They should almost become creamy. (It’s my new favourite way of making a tomato sauce, especially while tomatoes are in season; I much prefer this roasted fresh tomato method over using tins.)
While you are waiting for the tomatoes, start the meatballs. Blitz the bread into fine crumbs in a small blender or food processor. Put the breadcrumbs into a bowl, add the milk and leave them to soak.
Toast the coriander and fennel seeds in a small dry frying pan until you can smell them, just a few minutes, then pop them into a pestle and mortar and grind to a rough powder. Crumble the minced meat into a large bowl and add the spices. Add the chopped onion, garlic, a big pinch of salt, some pepper and the breadcrumbs and mix together to combine. Divide the mixture into balls about 20g each, and roll together in your hands, about the size of a golf ball.
Put the meatballs into a baking tray with some olive oil and the red pepper, coating everything in oil before putting them in the oven. Bake them for 25 minutes, but give them a shake after 10 minutes. They should take on a bit of colour but you don’t want them to cook for too long and dry out.
Meanwhile, heat a little oil and butter in a frying pan over a medium heat, add the sliced onion and cook until golden, about 10 minutes, then added the blitzed tomato sauce to the pan to warm through. A lot of fat can come out of the meatballs, which is great as they end up so juicy, but instead of adding the sauce to the baking tray scoop them out of the fat with the peppers and toss them into the tomato sauce in the pan.
Top with some chopped sage and serve with some buttery polenta.
NOTES
I used 400g of goat meat for two people; this is quite generous, and would feed three easily! I get my goat meat from The Goat Company, who trade locally. Buy a few packs when you see it and keep it in the freezer – it really is such delicious meat.