Makes 20
Total time 50 min
I found some refrigerated Italian meatballs at Costco and spent a while trying to work out what was in them. This is where I landed. They are firm, a little crunchy at the edges, and I have not yet served them to anyone who left them alone.
They also freeze very well, which makes them the most useful thing in my freezer. Apéro food on a toothpick, thrown into pasta, dropped on a salad, or eaten cold out of the fridge when you want protein and cannot be bothered to cook. Not a dish so much as a component.
Turkey is lean, which is the whole appeal and also the whole risk. There is very little fat in here to keep things juicy, so the bake time decides what you end up with. Shorter gives you a softer, moister meatball, longer gives you something firmer with more crust. I go longer.
Ingredients
- 450g ground turkey
- 1 large egg
- 100g (1 cup) grated parmesan
- 55g (½ cup) breadcrumbs
- 15g (¼ cup) fresh basil
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Equipment
- Baking tray
- Baking paper
The Simple Process
- Prep: Heat the oven to 200°C, or 180°C fan (400°F). Line a baking tray with baking paper. Chop the basil finely. Grate the parmesan if it is not already grated.
- Mix: Put the turkey, egg, parmesan, breadcrumbs, basil, salt, garlic powder and pepper in a bowl. Mix with your hands until everything is evenly spread through the meat, with no streaks of egg or pockets of cheese.
- Roll: Take about a tablespoon of the mixture at a time and roll it into a ball between your palms. Keep them all the same size so they cook at the same speed. You should get 20.
- Bake: Space them out on the tray so they are not touching and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until browned and firm. Cut one open to check: no pink in the middle, or 74°C (165°F) on a thermometer. Ovens vary, so start checking at 25 minutes.
- Rest: Leave them for 5 minutes before serving.
How to serve them
They are good plain, and better with something to dip them in. Spicy mayo is my favourite, or spicy mayo with a little chilli oil. Marinara works, so does garlic sauce.
