Black Pudding Meatballs
Nigella suggests serving these with colcannon, or with good bread and butter!
Makes enough for: 32 meatballs
Ingredients
for the tomato sauce
- 45 mls olive oil
- 1 large onion, peeled, cut in half, and finely diced
- 7 g flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 5 mls dried thyme
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 x 410g tins chopped tomatoes
- 400 mls water
- 15 mls tomato paste
- 10 mls Worcestershire sauce
- salt to season
for the meatballs
- 500 g lean mince
- 215 g black pudding, finely chopped
- 20 g rolled oats
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 7 g flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 5 g chives, finely chopped, plus extra for serving
- 5 mls dried thyme
- 1.25 mls dried chilli flakes
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to season
Method
for the tomato sauce
- Place the oil into a large, heavy bottomed pot and heat over a medium temperature
- Add the onions and sauté until soft and nice and golden
- Add the parsley, thyme and garlic and allow the garlic to cook for a bit
- Then add the tomatoes, and pour the water into the tins before pouring into the pot
- Add the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and season generously with salt before mixing, and increasing the temperature
- Bring to the boil then reduce the temperature and leave the sauce to simmer for at least 10 minutes
for the meatballs
- Place the mince into a large bowl, loosening it as you put it into the bowl
- Add the black pudding, oats and eggs as well as the parsley, chives, thyme and chilli flakes
- Season generously and mix in by hand until everything is incorporated
- Line a baking tray or chopping board with baking paper
- Scoop up walnut size pieces of the meat and shape into balls and place them onto the baking paper
- When all are done, gently drop them into the tomato sauce
- Make sure the meatballs are submerged then increase the temperature until the sauce is bubbling
- Cover with a lid, reduce the temperature slightly and leave to simmer for 15 minutes
- Remove the lid, gently stir, reduce the temperature slightly and leave to simmer for 15 minutes
- Adjust the seasoning then remove from the heat and leave to cool for 5 minutes
- Serve with some chopped chives to garnish