Sometimes you want a change, they say that a change is as good as a holiday. But I tell you that sometimes I change is really hard to think of when you have a 14 month old running around under foot. So, I have done the hard work (i.e. the thinking) for you and all you have to do is pop these items in your basket and get cooking.
Now when I think aranccini I think stuffed rice balls, but this is a stuffed meatball. And I have ‘hidden’ lots of delicious veggies in these meatballs so it really is a healthy, well rounded meal for husband, baby and me (growing another little one).
I served it with some rustic Italian bread with a simple tomato and basil salad. And because I think that the meatballs needed a little something ‘saucy’ – as I pan fried them rather than cooking them in a sauce – I added a garlic aioli (store bought).
ARANCCINI STYLED MEATBALLS
500 grams beef mince
100 grams pork mince
500 grams of sour dough
200 grams of eggplant
1 medium sized onion
1 bunch of basil
3 cloves of garlic
2 eggs
2 tablespoons of flour
1 container of baby bocconcini
sea salt and black pepper
olive oil for frying
Place the sour dough in a food processor and blitz until you have a fine crumb. Remove 400g of the breadcrumbs and set aside.
To the remaining breadcrumbs add the eggplant, onion, half a bunch of basil and garlic before blitzing again until it comes together and there are no large pieces of anything. Turn out into a large bowl and mix in the mince, one egg and then season with salt and pepper.
Take a small amount of meatball mixture into your hand and make a disk. Place a piece of baby bocconcini into the middle and then seal the cheese inside the meatball. Roll in the flour, dip into the egg wash and then roll in the remaining breadcrumbs. Repeat this process until all the balls are completed.
Heat a frying pan with enough oil for shallow frying. Cook the meatballs until golden brown on the outside, cooked through in the middle and the cheese is gooey (about 15 minutes).
