Meatballs with tomatoes and olives

Serves 4

Ingredients For the meatballs:
• 16oz (500g) minced lamb
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 2 stale bread rolls
• A little milk for soaking
• 1 egg
• 2tbsp (30ml) chopped parsley
• 1/2tsp (2 and 1/2ml) salt
• Freshly ground pepper as desired
• Clarified butter

Preparation For the meatballs:
1. Saute the shallots in butter until translucent. Soak the bread rolls in milk, then squeeze out and add to the minced lamb with the shallots and the egg. Add the parsley, season with salt and pepper and mix well. With wet hands form into small balls and fry on all sides in clarified butter until golden brown.

Ingredients For the tomato sauce:
• 32oz (1kg) rip tomatoes
• 2 shallots
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3tbsp (45ml) olive oil
• 1tbsp (15ml) tomato puree
• 2 sprigs thyme
• Finely chopped basil leaves
• 2 and 1/2oz (70g) green olives
• Salt as desired
• Pepper as desired

Preparation For the tomato sauce:
1. Make a slit in each tomato, scald in boiling water, then skin. Dice the flesh, removing the seeds and stalk scars.

2. Peel and dice the shallots, Peel and crush the garlic and saute both in olive oil. Add the tomato puree and saute for 3-4 minutes. Wash the herbs.

3. Add the tomatoes and one spring of thyme to the shallots and simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until quite thick.

4. Add the finely shopped basil leaves and the rest of the thyme leaves, season with salt and pepper and stir in the olives.

Serve the meatballs in the tomato sauce.

This Main Course recipe was published in 'Continental Cuisine - p26'.