Porcini Turkey Meatballs with an Asian Red Currant Dipping Sauce
November 21, 2004
Although it was a surprise to me, this was the favourite recipe of the students in the hors d’oeuvres class at Adventures in Cooking last week. Turkey meat instead of beef or pork lightens up this little appetizer, and using the Porcini Spice Rub from Palette Fine Foods adds a great boost of flavour. Roll these as big or as small as you’d like, but be sure to adjust the cooking time accordingly. If you do decide to make large meatballs, it is better to cook these in the oven rather than on the stovetop.
Ingredients:
Meatballs:
1 ½ shallot, finely chopped
2 clove garlic, finely chopped
5 large brown mushrooms, finely chopped (about 1 ½ cups chopped)
2 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
1 ½ lb. ground turkey thigh meat
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. Porcini Spice Rub (or other spice rub mixture)
vegetable or canola oil
3 egg yolks
½ cup Porcini Spice Rub (or other spice rub mixture)
Dipping Sauce:
1 cup Red Currant Jelly
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
3 Tbsp. Asian chili sauce
3 Tbsp. vegetable or canola oil
Directions:
1. To make the meatballs, place all the ingredients except the ¼ cup of spice rub in a large mixing bowl and combine. Press the mixture onto a cutting board, making an evenly flat rectangle or square. Cut the mixture into even sections. Gently shape each portion of meat into a meatball and place on a cookie sheet. Freeze for at least 30 minutes.
2. When you are ready to make the meatballs, pre-heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Roll the meatballs in the ¼ cup of the spice rub and then gently pan fry the meatballs, turning as needed. Be sure not to over-cook. Serve warm. These can be kept warm in a 170º F oven. Another method to do this is to pre-heat your oven to 400º F and use a roasting pan. Heat the roasting pan in the oven and then add a little olive oil to the hot pan. Add the meatballs and bake. Shake the pan every 5 minutes or so to ensure even browning.
3. To make the dipping sauce, combine all ingredients in a small mixing bowl and combine. Serve room temperature.
Makes 36 small meatballs, depending on size