Unlike the preceding Italian meatballs, these are strongly flavored with garlic, contain no cheese, and are spiked with almonds. They are unusual and great served on a toothpick with a glass of sherry.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 8 or more servings
Ingredients
1/2 pound each ground veal and pork or any combination of ground meats
1 egg
1/2 cup bread crumbs, preferably homemade (page 580)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 cup blanched almonds, roughly chopped
Salt and black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Flour for dredging
Preparation
Step 1
Combine the meat in a bowl with the egg, bread crumbs, garlic, almonds, and salt and pepper. Mix well but do not knead. Form into balls of any size you like; tiny (1/2-inch diameter) ones are kind of nice but take longer to form.
Step 2
Put the oil in a large skillet and turn the heat to medium. One by one, dredge the meatballs in the flour and add them to the oil. Cook, turning as necessary, until nicely browned all over, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.
The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.
MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.
