Stranger Foods

Lemon-scented pork meatballs with fennel & white wine

Serves 4 | Prep 20 mins | Cook 1 hr 20 mins

Meatballs weren’t regularly on the family table while I was growing up so a lot of research went into this recipe and there were a few tantrums during the process! Fennel, oregano, lemon and Parmesan are a perfect quartet of flavours. Bring white wine and crème fraîche to the party and you’ve got a pot of delicious, feel-good food.

Source: Foolproof One-Pot: 60 Simple and Satisfying Recipes

Ingredients

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1 large bulb fennel, trimmed slightly, root left intact, cut into 8 wedges
550 g new potatoes, halved
1 large red onion, peeled and cut into 8 wedges
200 g chantenay carrots, scrubbed clean and halved if large
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 tbsp honey
2½ tsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed
50 g panko breadcrumbs, generous
75 ml milk
500 g lean pork mince
1 tsp dried oregano
zest of 1 lemon
25 g Parmesan, finely grated
2 cloves garlic, finely grated
1 egg
150 ml dry white wine
3 tbsp crème fraîche
4 tbsp parsley, roughly chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

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Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 6. Add the fennel, potatoes, red onion and carrots to your wide shallow pot. Pour over the olive oil, honey, 1 tsp of the fennel seeds, ½ tsp salt and a grind of black pepper. Give everything a good mix with your hands. Pop in the oven for , giving it a shake or two during this time.
While the vegetables roast, prepare the meatballs. First mix the panko breadcrumbs with the milk and leave to one side for a few minutes allowing the bread to absorb the milk and turn slightly pasty.
Meanwhile, add the pork mince, remaining fennel seeds, oregano, lemon zest, Parmesan, garlic, egg, ½ tsp salt and a good grind of black pepper to a large bowl. Add the soaked breadcrumbs and give everything a good mix (it’s easiest to do this with your hands). Now, wet your hands slightly (this makes shaping the balls easier) and roll the mixture into sixteen 4 cm balls, transferring them to a large plate as you go. Drizzle them with a little olive oil and turn over to coat each one. Cover the meatballs and put them in the fridge to firm up while the vegetables finish cooking.
After the vegetables have been roasting for , take the pot out of the oven and give everything a good toss. Place the meatballs on top of the vegetables, spacing them evenly. Pop the pot back in the oven for .
Remove from the oven, and, using two spoons, turn the meatballs over, allowing them to fall wherever they land. Pour the wine into the pot and then pop it all back in the oven for another or until the wine has reduced (but not completely disappeared!) and the meatballs have started to brown.
Meanwhile, mix the crème fraîche with 1 tsp water to loosen it slightly. Once the meatballs are ready, take the pot out of the oven, drizzle the crème fraîche over, and sprinkle over 3 tbsp of the parsley. Using two large spoons, toss everything gently together until the cream and parsley are fully incorporated with the juices at the bottom of the pot. Finally, sprinkle with the remaining parsley and serve.

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