Highland Meatballs With Mustard and Whisky Sauce
- Ready In:
- 30mins
- Ingredients:
- 27
- Serves:
-
6
ingredients
- 4 slice white bread, crustless and crumbled
- 118.29 ml milk, for soaking
- 1 large egg
- 3.69 ml dried thyme
- 3.69 ml dried rosemary
- 2.46 ml coriander, ground
- 118.29 ml onion, cooked in 1 tablespoon oil until soft, finely diced
- 793.78 793.78 g ground turkey or 793.78 g ground chicken
- salt and black pepper, freshly ground
- 78.78 ml dry breadcrumbs, for coating
- 59.16 ml vegetable oil
- 73.94 ml unsalted butter
- 59.14 ml shallot, minced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 566.99 g white mushrooms, stems removed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 59.14 ml Scotch whisky
- 59.14 ml grainy mustard
- 29.58 ml flour
- 532.32 ml beef broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 6 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch rounds
- 9.85 ml sugar
- 3 leeks, white parts only, cut into 3/4-inch rounds (1/2 pound)
- 3 stalk celery, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch lengths (6 ounces)
- 3 parsnips, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch lengths (1/2 pound)
- 78.78 ml parsley, minced, for garnish
- potatoes, Boiled (for serving) or rice, cooked (for serving)
directions
- * If you substitute ground turkey or chicken, then season the poultry mix with thyme and sage and omit the coriander.
- TO MAKE THE MEATBALLS: Soak the crumbled bread in the milk for 15 minutes or until softened. Squeeze out the excess moisture and transfer the soaked bread to a food processor al ong with the egg, thyme, rosemary and coriander.
- Process until combined, then add the cooked onions, 2/3's of the meat, salt and pepper to taste, and process until blended.
- Transfer the mixture to a bowl, add the remaining meat and mix with your hands.
- Roll the meat into thirty two 1 1/2-inch meatballs, then roll the meatballs in the dry bread crumbs, coating all sides.
- TO COOK THE MEATBALLS AND MAKE THE SAUCE: In a 6- to 7-quart casserole, over moderate heat, heat the vegetable oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter.
- In two batches, brown the meatballs making sure they are crisp on all sides. When they are brown, remove them with a slotted spoon to a plate.
- Add the shallots to the remaining fat in the casserole and saute for a couple of minutes or until tender.
- Add the garlic and mushrooms and saute for 2 to 3 minutes or until tender.
- Add the whiskey and boil, scraping up the juices on the bottom of the casserole into the whiskey and simmer for a minute or so or until the whiskey has almost evaporated.
- Add the mustard and the flour and cook for a minute. Add 2 cups of the beef broth and bring it to a simmer, whisking all the while. Add the bay leaf and simmer for a couple of minutes.
- Adjust the seasoning and return the meatballs to the sauce (the dish can be made a day or two in advance up to this point). Simmer the meatballs, uncovered, to heat them and finish cooking them while you make the vegetable garnish.
- TO MAKE THE VEGETABLE GARNISH: In a separate 12-inch skillet over moderate heat, heat 2 tablespoons of the remaining butter.
- Add the carrots, sugar and the remaining 1/4 cup of beef broth. Cover and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes or until partially cooked.
- Add the leeks, celery and parsnips and 3/4 cup of water. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes longer or until the vegetables are tender.
- Uncover the skillet, evaporate the liquid over high heat until the vegetables are glazed. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- TO SERVE THE DISH: Discard the bay leaf. Spoon the meatballs onto a plate and top with mushrooms and gravy.
- Scatter glazed vegetables over the meatballs and garnish with the parsley.
- Serve with boiled potatoes or rice.
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Reviews
-
Wonderful recipe! I have to agree that it did look daunting at first, but it was worth the extra effort! Also, I left out the veggie garnish and served it with brown rice and sweet peas-- the family loved it! The only problem was that it didn't make enough sauce. My husband is a fan of lots of sauce...I doubled it and it still wasn't enough and ended up adding a little water to it to make it go further. But all in all, wonderful!