2014 Cooking Club Week 36 : Chicken Meatballs & Tomato Barbeque Pasta

Plazaman

Just a note/confession, I love seasoning and spices. I tend to fire them into the cooking pot as I go along and use the taste test for checking. So recipe below is technically what should be used but I encourage the extra dash or shake just for good measure.


1) Ignore Coriander, that should be Oregano. 2)Missing is Honey, Eggs and Breadcrumbs

Chicken Meatballs

4 Chicken Fillets
1/2 Large Onion
2 Cloves Garlic Crushed
1 Tsp Oregano
1/2 Tsp Basil
1/2 Cup Breadcrumbs
1 Egg
Squeeze of Honey
Pinch of Salt and Pepper
And below are optional depending on your taste
1/2 Tsp Smoked Paprika
1/2 Tsp Chilli Flakes
1 Tblsp Parmesan Cheese

Tomato Barbeque Sauce

1 Stick Celery
1 Carrot
2 Cloves Garlic
1/2 Large Onion
3 - 4 Button Mushrooms
Tsp Tomato Puree
Can Chopped Tomatoes
1/2 Tsp Aromat Seasoning
Salt and Pepper to taste
500 mls Chicken Stock
250 mls Barbeque Sauce
50 mls Cider Vinegar (optional)

Mince the Chicken Fillets and slap them into a mixing bowl. In on top of them goes the onion (grated) and all the other ingredients listed above (under the meatballs obviously). Don't be shy, use the hands to mix all up, very therapeutic. Roll the mixture into meatballs about golfball size and then into a hot pan they go with olive oil. Go easy with them though as the friggers are susceptible to falling apart. Be gentle when turning them as they cook.

At the same time with your third hand, chop the celery, carrots, onions, mushrooms and garlic. In they go to another pot with more olive oil and saute them for a while to soften them up and get those flavours jiggying. Then add the stock, can of tomatoes and puree and season as you go along.



Simmer your sauce for about 45 mins (add more stock or water if you don't like a thicker sauce). Then out with the hand blender and blitz the sauce to however smooth or chunky you like. Once done pop your chicken meatballs into the sauce and leave them for another 15 to 20 mins. It's at this stage also that you add 250mls of your favourite Barbeque Sauce and the vinegar to give it a zing if you are a zing type person.



As the meatballs simmer, pot three should be on the go to cook whatever type of pasta you like, I used Fusilli.

While waiting have a Jack Daniels and Diet Coke (this step is optional).

When your pasta is done, drain it, plate it and add two or three chicken meatballs and spoon the sauce over it (as much as you like).

I found these a nice alternative to beef meatballs and probably healthier. Bon Appetit.

Dizzyblonde

Looks delicious - I've never tried chicken meatballs before.

mel.b

If i wanted to make this just for one person, how much would you divide the recipe by?

Malari

mel.b wrote: »

If i wanted to make this just for one person, how much would you divide the recipe by?

Maybe quarter it for a fillet per person? Or you could make a full batch and freeze them!

OP, how did you minced the chicken. Could you just chop it finely, or in a food processor?