Lamb Apricot Meatballs Recipes

LAMB & APRICOT MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Heat 2 tsp oil in a pan and soften the onions for 5 mins. Add the garlic and spices and cook for a few mins more. Spoon half the onion mixture into a bowl and set aside to cool. Add the tomatoes, sugar and seasoning to the remaining onions in the pan and simmer for about 10 mins until reduced.
• Meanwhile, add the mint, lamb, apricots and breadcrumbs to the cooled onions, season and mix well with your hands. Shape into little meatballs.
• Heat the rest of the oil in a non-stick pan and fry the meatballs until golden (in batches if you need to). Stir in the sauce with a splash of water and gently cook everything for a few mins until the meatballs are cooked through. Serve with pitta bread and salad.

KOFTA MISHMISHEYA (LAMB MEATBALLS IN APRICOT SAUCE)

Steps:

• In a large frying pan, fry the onion in oil until golden.
• With your hands, work the meat into a paste with the dried lime, cloves, allspice, 3/4 tsp salt, and pepper, and roll into walnut-sized balls.
• Add them to the pan and cook, turning them to brown all over.
• Stir in the tomato paste, add the drained apricots and the currants or raisins, and cover with water.
• Simmer about 25 minutes.
• Crush the apricots a bit with a fork, add lemon juice and sugar and a little salt and pepper, and simmer for another 20 minutes.
• Serve over rice.

LAMB AND APRICOT MEATBALLS (OAMC)

Steps:

• heat 2 tsp of the oil in a pan and soften the onions for 5 minutes Add the garlic and spices and cook for a few more minutes.
• Spoon half the onion mixture into a bowl and set aside to cool. Add the tomatoes, sugar and seasoning to the remaining onions in the pan and simmer for about 10 mins until reduced.
• Meanwhile, add the mint, lamb, apricots and breadcrumbs to the cooled onions, season and mix well with your hands. Shape into little meatballs.
• Heat the rest of the oil in a non-stick pand and fry the meatballs until golden (in batches if you need to). Stir into the sauce with a splash of water and gently cook everything for a few mins until the meatballs are cooked through.
• Serve with pita bread and salad.

TURKEY MEATBALLS IN APRICOT SAUCE WITH MINT AND ALMONDS

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large straight-sided skillet or braiser over medium. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft but no color has developed, about 5 minutes. Remove half of onion and reserve. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil, garlic, ginger, coriander, turmeric, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to onion in skillet, stirring to combine. Cook until fragrant, about 45 seconds. Transfer to a large bowl, reserving skillet (do not wipe clean); stir breadcrumbs and 1/4 cup broth into bowl with spiced onion. Let cool slightly.
• Add turkey, mint, egg, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt to bowl, gently stirring to combine (do not overwork, or meatballs with be tough). With dampened hands, form into golf-ball-size meatballs and transfer to a parchment-lined tray (you should have about 20, each roughly 2 inches in diameter). Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes or, loosely covered, up to 1 day.
• Meanwhile, combine apricots, cinnamon stick, and remaining 2 3/4 cups broth in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until apricots are very soft and plump, about 15 minutes. Let cool slightly; discard cinnamon. Transfer to a blender with reserved onion and purée until smooth.
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in reserved skillet over medium-high. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in apricot mixture and bring to a boil. Gently nestle meatballs into sauce. Lower heat, partially cover (leaving about a 1-inch steam vent), and simmer, turning meatballs a few times, until almost cooked through and sauce has thickened and darkened slightly, 15 to 17 minutes.
• Uncover and continue to simmer until sauce reduces to a thick gravy, about 5 minutes more. Meanwhile, melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add almonds and cook, stirring occasionally, until nutty and golden in places, 2 to 3 minutes. Top meatballs with almonds and mint leaves; serve.

LAMB MEATBALLS WITH CUCUMBERS AND HERBS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F. Combine onion, raisins, and vinegar and let soak, tossing every now and then so everything gets vinegary. Put coriander and cumin seeds in a skillet and cook over medium heat, shaking skillet around a lot quite vigorously to move them around. When they start to smell fragrant and toasty, after a minute or two, transfer to a mortar and pestle, spice grinder, or cutting board. Crush them up just a bit and transfer to a large bowl.
• Add Aleppo pepper, cinnamon, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and ground lamb to bowl with spices. Chop leaves from parsley and half of mint and dill; add to bowl. Add breadcrumbs and egg and grate in 1 clove garlic; use your hands to mix and combine. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Divide mixture into 12 balls and put on sheet.
• Bake 12 to 15 minutes for medium (about 145°F on an instant-read thermometer). Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine cucumbers, pickled-onion mixture, and 1 handful each parsley and mint leaves. Season with salt and black pepper and drizzle with a little oil.
• Put labneh in another bowl; grate in remaining 1 clove garlic and zest of lemon. Season with Aleppo pepper and salt. Swoop mixture onto your serving plate or platter with the back of a spoon. Top with salad and meatballs. Cut zested lemon into wedges and serve alongside.

LAMB MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Melt the 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir the shallots in the skillet until tender. Transfer to a large bowl.
• Mix lamb, bread crumbs, parsley, egg, and lemon zest into the bowl with the shallots. Season with marjoram, salt, and pepper. Let stand 1 hour in the refrigerator.
• Melt 1/2 cup butter and heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Form the lamb mixture into small meatballs, and cook in the skillet in batches until evenly brown. Do not drain skillet. Drain meatballs on paper towels, and place in a serving dish.
• Mix tomato sauce, wine, garlic, and cinnamon into the skillet. Cook and stir until well blended and heated through. Drizzle over the meatballs in the dish. Serve with toothpicks.

LAMB WITH APRICOTS

Steps:

• In a large skillet, saute onion in oil until tender. Add the lamb and seasonings. Cook and stir for 5 minutes or until meat is browned. Add apricots, orange juice, almonds and orange zest. , Transfer to a 2-1/2-qt. baking dish. Stir in broth. Cover and bake at 350° for 1-1/2 hours or until meat is tender. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

APRICOT MEATBALLS

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine the first four ingredients. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into 1-in. balls. In a skillet, brown meatballs in several batches; drain. Transfer to a greased 2-qt. baking dish. Combine preserves and barbecue sauce; pour over meatballs. Cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until the meat is no longer pink.

SPICED LAMB MEATBALLS, ROAST APRICOTS & FREGULA

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Arrange the apricots on a baking tray cut-side down and roast for 10 mins. Remove from the oven and set aside.
• Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large, shallow flameproof casserole over a low-medium heat. Cook the onion with a pinch of salt for 15 mins until golden brown and caramelised. Stir in the garlic and ras el hanout and cook for 1 min more. Tip in the tomatoes, tomato purée and harissa, and cook for another 5 mins. Stir in the stock and remove from the heat.
• For the meatballs, combine the lamb mince, breadcrumbs, chilli, coriander, cinnamon, egg yolk and most of the parsley in a large bowl with a pinch of salt, squishing the mixture together using your hands for around 5 mins. Form into 10 meatballs, weighing for accuracy if you like. Heat the remaining oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and fry the meatballs for 5 mins until evenly golden.
• Stir the fregula and some seasoning into the casserole, then nestle in the meatballs and roasted apricots. Bring to a simmer, then bake in the oven, uncovered, for 15-20 mins or until the meatballs are cooked through. Scatter with the reserved parsley before serving.