by Coco Morante

Lamb Meatballs with Egg and Lemon Sauce Recipe

Behold, a bright and sunny main dish that's perfect for any spring or summer dinner! These tender and flavorful lamb meatballs, napped in a tangy, lemony sauce, have roots in both early Roman and Sephardic cuisines.

Both cuisines have dishes of meat or meatballs served in a lemony sauce thickened with egg yolks. Roman abbacchio brodettato is a braised lamb dish -- at the end of cooking, egg yolks and lemon juice are whisked into the braising liquid, thickening it into a sauce. In Sephardic tradition, a similar sauce called agristada is often served over meatballs made of chicken or beef, or alternatively, with fish or vegetables. Both dishes are more soupy than saucy, akin to Greek Avgolemono soup.

I wanted to bring the best parts of both recipes together, making flavorful meatballs by combining ground lamb and beef. Instead of breadcrumbs, matzo meal lightens up the texture of the ground meat. The accompanying egg and lemon sauce is thick and velvety; it's basically a Hollandaise sauce without the butter. It'll coat the back of a wooden spoon when you've whisked it to the right consistency.

Spoon the sauce over the lamb meatballs and serve with boiled new potatoes and steamed asparagus.

Lamb Meatballs with Egg & Lemon Sauce

    Prep Time: 30 minutes

    Cook time: 60 minutes

    Yield: Serves 8 (makes 24 meatballs and 1 1/2 cups of sauce)

Lamb Meatballs with Egg & Lemon Sauce Ingredients

    For the lamb meatballs:

      3 tablespoons olive oil

      2 large cloves garlic, minced or pressed

      1 large yellow onion, finely diced

      1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

      1 cup matzo meal

      2 jumbo eggs

      1 cup water

      10 large sprigs flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

      1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

      1 pound ground lamb

      1 pound extra lean (96/4) ground beef

    For the egg and lemon sauce:

      1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

      1/2 cup lemon juice

      1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

      4 jumbo egg yolks

      1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric (optional, for color)

Lamb Meatballs with Egg & Lemon Sauce Recipe Instructions

    To make the lamb meatballs:

    In a large (12-inch) skillet over medium heat, sauté the garlic in the olive oil just until some small bubbles appear around the garlic and it becomes aromatic, about two minutes.

    Add the diced onions and salt to the skillet, and sauté until the onions are softened, translucent, and have wilted considerably but not yet begun to brown, about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and set the mixture aside to cool to room temperature.

    In a large bowl, whisk together the matzo meal, eggs, water, parsley, and black pepper to form a paste. Let sit for about 15 minutes.

    When the onions and garlic have cooled, add them to the mixing bowl with the matzo meal paste and stir until thoroughly combined.

    Add the ground lamb and beef to the mixing bowl. Using your hands, a sturdy spatula or a wooden spoon, gently combine the ground meats with the matzo meal mixture until just combined.

    Preheat the oven to 400 F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Use an ice cream scoop or 1/4-cup measure to portion out the mixture into meatballs, rolling them by hand and placing on the baking sheets, two inches apart.

    Bake the meatballs until cooked through and golden brown on top, about 40 minutes.

    To make the egg and lemon sauce:

    In the top pot of a double boiler over medium heat, whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, egg yolks, and turmeric together. Whisk often and vigorously until hot and thickened enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 10 minutes.

    Serve immediately, spooning about a tablespoon of sauce onto each meatball.

Lamb Meatballs with Egg & Lemon Sauce Recipe Notes

    If you are holding the sauce before serving, it will thicken up a bit -- thin it out to a pourable consistency by whisking in a tablespoon or two of hot water.

    If you are unable to track down ground lamb, you can ask your butcher to grind a pound of lamb shoulder, or grind your own at home.

Lamb Meatballs, Lamb Meatballs with Egg and Lemon Sauce Recipe, Greek

 

Subscribe to Receive our Gourmet Recipes


Lamb Meatballs Recipe Topped with an Egg & Lemon Sauce

World-renowned chefs with an extraordinary passion for food share their passion on iHaveNet.com. These chefs make great cooking easier than imagined. Each gourmet recipe features expert advice and an easy-to-make recipe. Exactly what you need to transform your home cooking from acceptable to delectable

Article: Copyright © Tribune Content Agency