Thursday, September 11, 2008

Turkey meat balls and Romesco


This is really fast and easy. I didn't have a clear idea of what I was going to make for dinner, I walked aimlessly through the market today and picked out random items hoping I could come up with a meal. Ground turkey and a plethora of red bell peppers from the Newman's garden steered me in this particular direction. I picked a handful of herbs, and dinner is served!
Consider a simple green salad to make this an elegant meal.

Romesco originates from Catalonia, Spain. It's typically made with almonds, roasted red peppers (or tomatoes), roasted garlic, olive oil and a hint of sherry vinegar. Try it with roasted vegetables, fish or poultry. I don't follow a recipe, but there are many versions readily available. Here's what I do:

4 red bell peppers - roasted and skins removed* (see below)
4 cloves garlic, raw or roasted
1 large handful of blanched almonds
pinch of paprika
pinch of red pepper flakes
drizzle of sherry vinegar
salt and pepper taste
extra virgin olive oil

Place everything above in a food processor, except olive oil, and blend, slowly adding oil until the consistency is thick, yet smooth. Make sure the almonds have been ground all the way. Season with salt and pepper. Serve at room temp.

*The easiest way to roast peppers is to rub a very small amount of olive oil on peppers and place them on top of your burner (gas stove ONLY), set the heat to med/low and allow peppers to char on all sides. (If you are using an electric oven, place the oiled peppers on a pan and place under the broiler, rotating every few minutes until charred). After, place peppers into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. The heat will allow the skins to separate and then they can be peeled of. Wait a while, the peppers are little pockets of steam waiting to be released. Remove the seeds and charred skins when they have cooled.

Turkey Balls
Serves 4

1 1/2 lb dark turkey - ground
1 egg
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tbls fresh sage - finely chopped save a few sprigs and leave whole
1 tbls fresh thyme - finely chopped
1 tbls fresh rosemary - finely chopped
1 tbls fresh basil - finely chopped
salt and pepper
extra virgin olive oil

In a large mixing bowl, place the above ingredients and combine thoroughly. Shape bite - size balls and set aside.

Heat oil in a large saute pan and place a handful of sage in hot oil for a few seconds to flavor the oil. Remove it and add turkey balls. Careful not to over crowd pan. Saute on each side for about 8 minutes, or until cooked all the way through. Drain balls on paper towels. Serve warm with romesco sauce.

1 comment:

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