Fricadelles in Tomato Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
3 lb ground veal, or 21/2 lb ground beef mixed with 1 lb ground pork 1/2 lb bacon, finely chopped 2 medium onions, finely chopped 1 teaspoon thyme 5 cups fresh breadcrumbs 1 teaspoon paprika 1 1/2—2 cups cold water salt and pepper 3/4 cup flour (for coating) 3 tablespoons oil and 3 tablespoons butter (for frying) For simple tomato sauce 1/4 cup butter 1/4 cup flour 1 tablespoon tomato paste 4 cups stock 1 can (2 lb) tomatoes salt and pepper 1 bay leaf 1 clove of garlic, crushed To finish 3 tablespoons heavy cream 1 cup plain yogurt 3 cups rice (to accompany) 24—36 black olives, halved and pitted 2 lemons, cut in wedges
Directions
These small meatballs are an excellent alter- native to stuffed egg salad.
They can be made from any raw, ground meat, fried and served hot, with or without sauce.
Method Put veal, or ground beef and pork, and bacon in a bowl.
Add onions, thyme, breadcrumbs and paprika.
Work in the cold water a little at a time, kneading it in with the hand as in bread-making.
Season well.
To prepare tomato sauce: melt butter in saucepan, stir in flour until smooth and cook until straw-colored.
Blend in tomato paste and stock and stir until mixture boils.
Add tomatoes, crushing well with the back of a wooden spoon and stir in seasoning, bay leaf and garlic.
Cover pan and simmer 20-30 min- utes.
Work mixture through a strainer into a bowl.
Shape meat mixture into little balls the size of walnuts, roll them lightly in flour and fry quickly, a few at a time, in the hot oil and butter until meatballs are brown.
Drain on paper towels, then lay them in a large shallow casserole.
Spoon over tomato sauce, cover and bake in a moderate oven (350°F for 30 min- utes.
Before serving, mix cream into yogurt and spoon over the fricadelles, shaking dish gently to mix it with sauce.
Serve with hot boiled rice.
Put black olives and wedges of lemon in separate dishes.
Note: this dish can be prepared the day be- fore.
If you do so, carefully transfer baked meatballs and sauce into a large bowl to cool as quickly as possible.
Refrigerate.
Next day replace meatballs and their sauce in the cas- serole and reheat in a moderate oven (350°F) for 25-30 minutes so the fricadelles are heated through completely.
While reheating (about 10 minutes before serving), add cream and yogurt as described above.
As a special touch, if you like, add 3 ripe tomatoes, peeled, quar- tered and seeded, when the reheating opera- tion starts.
The rice can be cooked as for rice salad (see method, stuffed egg salad), and re- heated in a buttered dish covered with but- tered foil in the same oven for 20-25 minutes.
They can be made from any raw, ground meat, fried and served hot, with or without sauce.
Method Put veal, or ground beef and pork, and bacon in a bowl.
Add onions, thyme, breadcrumbs and paprika.
Work in the cold water a little at a time, kneading it in with the hand as in bread-making.
Season well.
To prepare tomato sauce: melt butter in saucepan, stir in flour until smooth and cook until straw-colored.
Blend in tomato paste and stock and stir until mixture boils.
Add tomatoes, crushing well with the back of a wooden spoon and stir in seasoning, bay leaf and garlic.
Cover pan and simmer 20-30 min- utes.
Work mixture through a strainer into a bowl.
Shape meat mixture into little balls the size of walnuts, roll them lightly in flour and fry quickly, a few at a time, in the hot oil and butter until meatballs are brown.
Drain on paper towels, then lay them in a large shallow casserole.
Spoon over tomato sauce, cover and bake in a moderate oven (350°F for 30 min- utes.
Before serving, mix cream into yogurt and spoon over the fricadelles, shaking dish gently to mix it with sauce.
Serve with hot boiled rice.
Put black olives and wedges of lemon in separate dishes.
Note: this dish can be prepared the day be- fore.
If you do so, carefully transfer baked meatballs and sauce into a large bowl to cool as quickly as possible.
Refrigerate.
Next day replace meatballs and their sauce in the cas- serole and reheat in a moderate oven (350°F) for 25-30 minutes so the fricadelles are heated through completely.
While reheating (about 10 minutes before serving), add cream and yogurt as described above.
As a special touch, if you like, add 3 ripe tomatoes, peeled, quar- tered and seeded, when the reheating opera- tion starts.
The rice can be cooked as for rice salad (see method, stuffed egg salad), and re- heated in a buttered dish covered with but- tered foil in the same oven for 20-25 minutes.
Questions, Comments and Reviews
Related Recipes
By Same Chef
Chef
