For May’s Play with Food cooking challenge, I have found & put my own twist on a beautiful dinner recipe for the family using celeriac.
Beef Meatballs & Celeriac
Flavoured with mild middle eastern tastes, this stove top meal is enough to feed 2 adults and 2 kids. Best served with rice, cous cous or flat breads.
Ingredients:
- 250g Beef Mince
- 1/2 Medium Sized Zucchini, Grated
- 1 Egg
- 100g Bread Crumbs
- 1/2 tsp Allspice
- 1/2 Medium Brown Onion, Finely Chopped
- 5 Sprigs of Flat Leaf Parsley, Chopped (+ extra for garnish)
- Olive Oil (for coating pan)
- Salt & Black Pepper (as required for seasoning)
- 1/2 a Bulb of Celeriac, Cut into Batons
- 2 Cloves of Garlic, Crushed
- ½ tsp ea Ground Turmeric, Cumin and Cinnamon
- 1½ tsp Fennel Seeds
- ¾ tsp Smoked Paprika
- 500ml Chicken Stock
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp Greek yoghurt
Method:
In a large bowl, use your hands to mix the beef, zucchini, onion, breadcrumbs, parsley, egg, allspice, half a teaspoon of salt and some black pepper. Form into elongated meatballs. Squeeze with your hand around them to leave bumps which helps add crispy textures to the finished dish.
Heat the oil in a large pan (that has a lid) or a tagine, and sear the meatballs all over for about five minutes in total. Remove the meatballs before adding celeriac, garlic and remaining spices to the pan. Cook on high heat while constantly stirring for two minutes. Return the meatballs to the pan and then add the chicken stock, lemon juice. Season with salt and black pepper. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat, cover and simmer gently for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and leave to bubble away for 10 minutes more, until the sauce is quite thick.
Remove the pan from the heat and let it sit for a few minutes to settle. Taste, season as necessary and serve topped with a dollop of yoghurt and a sprinkling of parsley.
Play with Food 