Mediterranean Lamb Meatballs

Ciao all! Johnny here with a new meatball recipe for you foodies! Now, there is something that you should know. I give out a lot of my family’s Italian recipes, but our meatball recipe is well guarded. However, I know I can’t get away forever without giving you guys some kind of meatball recipe. So, instead of giving you my family’s meatball recipe from Calabria, Italy, we are sailing to more Eastern parts of the Mediterranean like Greece and Lebanon for inspiration for a tasty, lamb meatball recipe.

I made these meatballs along side a Greek orzo pasta dish for my family on a hot evening that made us feel like we were on a Greek island. The meal was absolutely divine! These meatballs turned out to be tender, sweet, spicy, and wonderfully dynamic. Ground lamb has a unique, slightly sweet taste to it that works so well with these other Mediterranean ingredients. Also, I find that ground lamb, when cooked properly, holds a lot of moisture which keeps these meatballs nice and tender. And for those of you who have made meatballs before, you will understand that it can be difficult to keep them tender.

The ingredients for these meatballs are very similar to those found in the Prosciutto Wrapped Lamb Burger recipe that Nicole posted awhile back. I think that these ingredients make a great, basic formula for Mediterranean meat mixtures. I mean, with ingredients like sundried tomatoes and parsley, how can you go wrong? I’m telling you, these meatballs are pure gold! I encourage you to branch away from everything you know about meatballs and take a little culinary adventure East into the Mediterranean. Enjoy! Bon Apetito! Opah!

Mediterranean Lamb Meatballs:

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground lamb
• ½ cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
• ½ cup sundried tomatoes, chopped
• ½ cup plain breadcrumbs
• ½ cup grated pecorino romano cheese
• 1 tablespoon crushed garlic
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ½ teaspoon of both salt and pepper
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Preheat the oven 375°F.

In a large bowl, combine the parsley, sundried tomatoes, breadcrumbs, cheese, garlic, eggs, heavy cream, red pepper, and salt and pepper. Mix together with a wooden spoon until the eggs are completely broken up and the ingredients are well combined. Add the lamb. Mix with your hands until everything is well distributed.

Drizzle a couple tablespoons of olive oil over a baking sheet and spread with a pastry brush. Form 1 ½ inch meatballs and place on the baking sheet. You will get about 10-12 meatballs. Drizzle the tops of the meatballs with a bit of olive oil. Place the baking sheet in the lower half of the oven and bake until cooked through, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for a couple minutes before serving. Enjoy!