Roasted Veal Meatballs with Runner Bean Salsa by Carina Contini of Contini Restaurants in Edinburgh
For years, veal aroused the same controversy as animal furs. Now British rose veal is readily available and thanks to great animal husbandry, these wee veal calf beauties have a very happy life and we get a truly world-class ingredient.
These lovely little meatballs are roasted in the oven and then served with a delicious runner bean salsa. They are also great with a lovely salad or you can stuff them into baby flatbreads for an on-the-hoof snack, or serve them as you would a beef burger - only a much tastier one.
For more information about Carina and their restaurants visit https://www.contini.com
Ingredients: Makes approx. 12
500g British rose veal, coarsely minced
1 egg yolk
50g fresh breadcrumbs
grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
50g golden raisins
25g parsley, coarse stalks removed and chopped
25g thyme, coarse stalks removed and chopped
25g oregano, coarse stalks removed and chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Runner bean salsa:
200g runner beans, tough strings removed
salt
400g firm tomatoes
large handful of coriander leaves
large handful of basil leaves
1 fresh red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced
1 small onion, finely chopped
juice of 1 unwaxed lime
extra virgin olive oil
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 230ºC/450ºF/Gas 8.
2. To make the salsa, cut the runner beans into 2.5cm pieces and blanch them in salted boiling ester until tender but still al dente. Drain and refresh in cold water, then drain again. Chop the tomatoes into pieces the same size as the runner beans. Mix the tomatoes and beans with the coriander, basil, chilli, onion, lime juice and a pinch of salt. Loosen the mixture with enough olive oil to make the salsa glossy. Taste and check for seasoning.
3. Mix together all the ingredients for the meatballs except the salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Season to taste. Divide the mixture into small balls. You can weigh each ball to about 50g so that they cook evenly. Squash each ball into the shape of a small clementine, then lay them on an oiled baking sheet. Roast in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes until the meatballs are cooked all the way through.
Serve hot with the runner bean salsa.
In association with Taste Communications.
www.tastecommunications.co.uk
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