Meatball, Chestnut and Red Wine Braise

I love chestnuts but I rarely buy them fresh and why should I when the vacuum packed ready peeled ones are so good? Braised with meatballs, onions and red wine, this hearty dish is perfect served with mash potato but I also serve it with white rice if the mood takes me as it often does (it's something about the sweet red wine flavour chestnuts and the rice that I love) This is a real winter warmer y'all and perfect after having been out in the cold. Enjoy!

• Ready In: 40 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 500  g  raw  meatballs (pork and beef mixture, or any)
• 3  tablespoons olive oil
• 3  large onions, chopped into half rings
• 3  garlic cloves, crushed
• 12  chestnut mushrooms, chopped (optional)
• 200  g  cooked peeled chestnuts
• 7  sage leaves, soaked in boiling water for 1 minute, drained and chopped
• 2  bay leaves
• 150  ml red wine
• 200  ml  pork stock (a mixture of chicken and beef works well)
•  salt
•  pepper

Directions

1. Heat half of the oil in a frying pan over a high heat and when almost smoking, throw in the onions and cook fast until they are partially blackened. Set aside.
2. Next heat the rest of the oil in a large casserole dish over a high heat and brown off the meatballs, (they don't need to be completely cooked as they will cook more later).
3. Lower the heat and add the blackened onions, garlic and mushrooms if using. cook for 2 minutes being careful that the garlic doesn't burn.
4. Add the sage, bay leaves, red wine and stock with a touch of salt and plenty of black pepper.
5. Bring to the boil, lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
6. Add the chestnuts and simmer for 5 more minutes.
7. Taste and adjust seasoning and serve.