Today’s recipe for a second course: soft veal meatballs with lemon.
Who doesn’t like meatballs?! I think they are one of those dishes that always manage to satisfy everyone because they can be prepared in many different ways, starting from the classic meatballs in sauce, moving on to legume ones or fish ones, and even the tempting couscous meatballs. Basically, you just need to unleash your imagination.
The ones I’m proposing today are meatballs with very soft veal mince because the mixture will include boiled potatoes, and they will then be cooked and flavored with lemon, which gives an aromatic and refreshing hint, very, very delicious.
The veal meatballs with lemon can be enjoyed during a lunch, perhaps serving gnocchi first and for dessert a soft orange angel cake or a delicious coffee tiramisu.
Now let’s see together, step by step, how to make this recipe.
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- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 20 Minutes
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: About 30 meatballs
- Cooking methods: Stovetop, Boiling
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer, All Seasons
Ingredients for Lemon Meatballs
- 21 oz veal (minced)
- 14 oz potatoes, peeled, cooked, boiled
- 2 eggs
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 lemon
- 1 pinch pepper
- to taste thyme
- to taste fine salt
- 6 tbsps butter
- 1.4 fl oz olive oil
- 3 slices lemon
- 6.8 fl oz white wine
- 2 sprigs thyme
Tools
- 1 Scale
- 1 Pot
- 1 Pan
- 1 Bowl
Let’s Prepare the Lemon Meatballs Together
To make our meatball mixture softer, we need boiled potatoes. So, in a pot, we put some water with the washed potatoes and turn on the heat. Let them cook until, when pierced with a fork, they are soft. Then we drain them, peel them, and mash them well with a fork or potato masher.
In a bowl, we put the minced meat, mashed potatoes, eggs, grated lemon zest, finely chopped garlic, a few leaves of fresh thyme, salt, and a grind of pepper. Then knead well to combine all the ingredients and have a homogeneous mixture. If it turns out too soft, add a little breadcrumbs. Put it in the fridge for about twenty minutes.
Take a small amount of the mixture, about 1.4 oz, and form meatballs by rolling it between your hands. Place each meatball on a plate or work surface and continue until all the mixture is used. Then quickly pass them in a bit of flour.
In a non-stick pan, put the olive oil and butter, and let the latter melt a little. Then add the lemon slices and a sprig of thyme, let them heat up, and also add our veal meatballs, shaking off any excess flour. Let them brown well on all sides, turning them from time to time.
Let the meatballs cook well for at least 4 or 5 minutes per side, then deglaze with the white wine and let all the alcohol evaporate, continue cooking for another three or four minutes. If necessary, add a little hot water.
A Curly Girl Recommends
Soft veal meatballs with lemon often save my dinner because sometimes I mix and shape them beforehand, then put them in the fridge, and at dinnertime, I flour and cook them.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Can I use only lemon for the meatballs?
Of course, these meatballs are also great with other citrus fruits. I’ve made them with grapefruit, and they were very well received.
