Karen Wright: Cloudy with a chance of Spanish meatballs
Our holiday to Spain was a success despite a very mixed bag of weather. We flew to Malaga on the Costa Del Sol, but it didn't live up to its sunny reputation unfortunately.
We were happy with our hotel and although we did get out and about a fair bit much of our time was spent in the hotel lounge.
We were ‘All Inclusive’ too which did mean we probably ate too much and of course the drinks were, as you might expect, flowing!
The food in the restaurant was abundant, fruits and salads galore which I tried my hardest to focus on, but the hot food was so varied and plentiful that I couldn't resist, and I have returned home a few pounds heavier. The food was very Spanish, there was fish served everyday along with pork which is very popular there and on occasion octopus and squid, which I didn't fancy quite so much!
One of the dishes that was served regularly was Albondigas, which are the Spanish style meatballs. I think that most countries have a version of meatballs, and they are all similar, but the differences are what the meat is seasoned with.
When I got home, I got to work straight away trying to replicate the meatballs and I was very happy with the result, smokey and spicy and simmered in a rich tomato sauce.
To make them I mixed beef and pork mince in a big bowl and seasoned well with sea salt and black pepper. Then I added a big handful of fresh white breadcrumbs, a generous tablespoon of smoked paprika, a few chili flakes and some oregano. I squished everything together with my hands and then rolled into balls about the size of a walnut.
In a large frying pan I heated a little olive oil and then fried the meatballs for a few minutes to ensure all the surfaces were well browned, I then removed them to a plate. In the same pan I softened a diced onion and a few cloves of crushed garlic. I added a box of passata and seasoned well with salt and pepper. I added smoked paprika, red wine and a little sherry vinegar. I brought this to the boil and then reduced to simmer and then I put the meatballs into the sauce to complete the cooking. After about fifteen minutes they were ready to serve, so delicious, why not give them a try?