Beef meatballs with fava beans & lemon

Name: Beef meatballs with fava beans & lemon
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 4½ tbsp olive oil; 2⅓ cups / 350 g fava beans, fresh or frozen; 4 thyme sprigs; 6 cloves garlic, sliced; 8 green onions, cut at an angle into ¾-inch / 2cm segments; 2½ tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice; 2 cups / 500 ml chicken stock; salt and freshly ground black pepper; 1½ tsp each chopped flat-leaf parsley, mint, dill, and cilantro, to finish; 10 oz / 300 g ground beef; 5 oz / 150 g ground lamb; 1 medium onion, finely chopped; scant 1 cup / 120 g bread crumbs; 2 tbsp each chopped flat-leaf parsley, mint, dill, and cilantro; 2 large cloves garlic, crushed; 4 tsp baharat spice mix (store-bought or see recipe); 4 tsp ground cumin; 2 tsp capers, chopped; 1 egg, beaten

5 steps

Prep:40minCook:40min

Fresh, sharp, and very, very tasty, these meatballs are our idea of the perfect spring supper dish. Serve them with Basmati rice and orzo and there isn’t need for much else. Whole blanched almonds would be a good addition, for texture. Add them to the pan along with the unshelled fava beans.

Updated at: Thu, 17 Aug 2023 13:29:13 GMT

Nutrition balance score

Good

Glycemic Index

Low

Glycemic Load

High

Nutrition per serving

Calories721.5 kcal (36%)

Total Fat45.1 g (64%)

Carbs45.2 g (17%)

Sugars5.9 g (7%)

Protein34.3 g (69%)

Sodium764 mg (38%)

Fiber7 g (25%)

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Instructions

Step 1

Place all of the meatball ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add ¾ teaspoon salt and plenty of black pepper and mix well with your hands. Form into balls about the same size as Ping-Pong balls. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat in an extra-large frying pan for which you have a lid. Sear half the meatballs, turning them until they are brown all over, about 5 minutes. Remove, add another 1½ teaspoons of the olive oil to the pan, and cook the other batch of meatballs. Remove from the pan and wipe it clean.

Step 2

While the meatballs are cooking, throw the fava beans into a pot with plenty of salted boiling water and blanch for 2 minutes. Drain and refresh under cold water. Remove the skins from half the fava beans and discard the skins.

Step 3

Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat in the same pan in which you seared the meatballs. Add the thyme, garlic, and green onion and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the unpeeled fava beans, 1½ tablespoons of the lemon juice, ⅓ cup / 80 ml of the stock, ¼ teaspoon salt, and plenty of black pepper. The beans should be almost covered with liquid. Cover the pan and cook over low heat for 10 minutes.

Step 4

Return the meatballs to the frying pan holding the fava beans. Add the remaining stock, cover the pan, and simmer gently for 25 minutes. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning. If it is very runny, remove the lid and reduce a little. Once the meatballs stop cooking, they will soak up a lot of the juices, so make sure there is still plenty of sauce at this point. You can leave the meatballs now, off the heat, until ready to serve.

Step 5

Just before serving, reheat the meatballs and add a little water, if needed, to get enough sauce. Add the remaining herbs, the remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and the peeled fava beans and stir very gently. Serve immediately.