SPICED LAMB MEATBALLS WITH SOUR CHERRIES
Ingredients
200g of dried ocean spray cranberries
100g dried sour cherries
200ml of boiling water
2 teaspoons of sugar
1 lemon juiced
1 tablespoon of Pomegranate molasses
500g minced lamb
1 onion finely diced
2 cloves of garlic
2 small dried red chillies crushed
2 teaspoons of ground coriander
half a bunch of flat leaf parsly
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Description
This dish is an unusually striking, combination of flavours, which really makes your taste buds tingle. It comes from an area of Turkey in the south, near Aleppo, which is close to Syria. I have had variations of this in Turkey and Syria and it is always very popular in both countries. Early settlers in the area, were famous for mixing fruit with cooked lamb. In this region the famous sour cherries, which are now widely available, dried in supermarkets are in season in June, and so these are traditionally are seasonal early summer dish. Because of the popularity of this dish the cherry sauce is often made in large quantities and then frozen so that it can be enjoyed through out the winter months. When I first had this dish the combination of sweet and sour elements in the sauce and the savoury and spicy elements in the little meatballs was so delicious and very memorable. They came at the end of a vast meal and yet room was made on the table and in our stomachs. The sizzling dish that was brought to the table was scraped clean and the extra sauce and liquid clinging to the edges of the dish were mopped up with copious amounts of flat bread. A combination of ocean spray dried cranberries and some dried sour cherries, makes a perfect substitute and are available from supermarkets.
Pomegranate molasses is a fantastic Middle Eastern ingredient. It comes in bottles, and is thick dark syrup made from the reduced juice of pureed pomegranates. It is fantastically sour and sweet at the time, similar to very good quality aged balsamic vinegar.
If not available you could use a bit of reduced balsamic vinegar instead.
Method
Place the dried cranberries and dried pitted cherries in a heavy bottomed pan. Add the water and the sugar and the pomegranate molasses
Bring to the bowl and then turn down the heat and gently simmer for 20 minutes until the sauce is thickened and syrupy.
When reduced add the lemon juice, and taste. (The meatballs will be salty, rich and peppery hot.)
Meanwhile make the meatballs. Finely chop the onion. Cut the garlic in half and remove the central green shoot from the garlic. Finely chop the dried chilli. With a pinch of salt crush the garlic with the dried chilli and the ground coriander and make a paste.
Heat a heavy bottomed pan and add a little olive oil. Fry the paste until fragrant and aromatic for 2 minutes. Add chopped onion and fry quickly for 4 minutes. Remove from the pan.
Place the onion in a bowl with the lamb. Roughly chop the parsley and add to the mixture. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roll the meat into small balls about the size of cherry tomatoes.
Heat a clean heavy bottomed pan over a medium high heat. Fry the balls in small batches so that they are golden brown all over. Drain on absorbent kitchen paper. Add the meatballs to the cherry sauce and cook for a couple of minutes to combine the delicious flavours.
The taste of this dish is really spectacular and absolutely delicious, it works well with something quite neutral in taste because it is very rich. It should be served as part of a main course as one of many dishes of meat and vegetables. Serve with Greek style yoghurt and lots of bread.
Categories
Lamb/Mutton/Hogget
Snacks/Tapas
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