Here's an easy dinner from Patricia Wells's "Provence Cookbook." In a food processor, combine 1 pound ground lamb, 1 small onion (peeled and finely minced), 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 2 teaspoons sweet paprika, 1/4 cup mint leaves finely chopped. Season with salt and pepper and roll the mixture into 24 meatballs "the size of a walnut." Then heat 2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil in a skillet until hot and cook the meatballs until they are browned on all sides and cooked in the center. Serve with tzatziki, which you can buy (as I did) or make yourself. That's it! You'll feel like you're in Morocco with Patricia Wells; especially if you make this while in Morocco with Patricia Wells.
Comments (7)
I don't get to eat a lot of lamb, but I'd like to have more.
Posted by Kelly Mahoney | September 17, 2007 10:46 AM
Oooh, yum! I'm trying this one!
Posted by Gidget Bananas | September 17, 2007 12:56 PM
I love these -- we had the caterer make them for one of our wedding parties in May, served with a cumin/lemon/garlic/yogurt dipping sauce. Big, big hit.
Posted by Julie | September 17, 2007 9:04 PM
Adam - Does the food processr pulverize the lamb? Can these be mixed by hand, assuming the onion is very finely chopped?
Posted by sharon | September 18, 2007 6:53 AM
Adam, why don't you eat more Mexican food? I know you live in New York, but that's no excuse not to whip some up every once in a while. Try Rick Bayless's cookbooks/programs on PBS for authentic Mexican recipes, or even try some Tex-Mex. Just give us Latinos, or our food anyway (hi Craig!) a little gastronomic love.
Posted by Veronica | September 18, 2007 7:25 PM
Adam, why don't you eat more Mexican food? I know you live in New York, but that's no excuse not to whip some up every once in a while. Try Rick Bayless's cookbooks/programs on PBS for authentic Mexican recipes, or even try some Tex-Mex. Just give us Latinos, or our food anyway (hi Craig!) a little gastronomic love.
Posted by Veronica | September 18, 2007 7:25 PM
I just made these (had half a pound of ground lamb I needed to use up, and found this recipe via Google). Sharon, yes, the food processor pulverizes the lamb, so the meatballs come out a little on the mushy side. I will mix by hand next time so the lamb has a more texture.
I served these with garlic-sauteed gai lan and pasta. I think I could have added a little lemon zest to the meatballs to zing them up, since I don't have tzatsiki to dip them in.
But they are pretty tasty nevertheless.
Posted by Kitt | October 14, 2007 4:16 PM