John Whaite’s spicy summertime meatballs

The clocks have gone forward – I’m still aggrieved by the loss of that sacred hour – and spring is well underway. My family and friends all seem to be on their ‘beach bod diets’ and as a result are getting slimmer and grumpier at the same time.

Admittedly, in spite of my devotion to food, I did try a protein shake diet. I know I’ve failed myself in doing so, but in my defence it was in preparation for Attitude’s 20th birthday party on Saturday night. And it only lasted a day.

With longer nights, though, our appetites do seem to get a little more restrained and so we tend to eat lighter foods. In my case, this is simply to leave more room for beer, sipped in the eternal sunshine.

This recipe is awesome for a sunny evening. It isn’t at all heavy and so would work beautifully with a white wine, but at the same time the gentle hit of spice lends itself perfectly to a red wine, or even a thirst-quenching lager.

Moroccan spiced meatballs and bean broth (serves 4 as a starter or 2 as a main meal)

Ingredients
For the meatballs:
500g lean minced beef
1tsp ground turmeric
1tsp ground coriander
1/2tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
Pinch of ground black pepper

For the broth:
1tsp olive oil
1 small onion, very finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, very finely sliced
Zest of ½ orange
1 x 400g can cannellini beans
750ml chicken stock
1 fat red chilli, deseeded and cut in half
The leaves from 2 sprigs flat leaf parsley
Salt and pepper to season

Method:
1. To prepare the meatballs simply put the mince with the spices, salt and pepper into a mixing bowl and squish together until the spices are evenly dispersed. Divide into 8 and roll into balls. Place onto a plate and put to one side.
2. For the broth heat the oil in a large saucepan or casserole over a medium heat and add the onion and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until really soft. Add the garlic and orange zest and stir. Add the can of beans – water and all – and the stock and chilli halves, along with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer.
3. Heat a frying pan over a high flame. When it’s hot add the meatballs and allow them to brown on the outside, then remove from the heat and add to the broth. Simmer uncovered for 35 minutes. Just before serving skim off any foam and then add the parsley leaves.

Follow John Whaite on Twitter @JohnWhaiteBakes or visit his official website.

More from John Whaite on attitude.co.uk:
> John Whaite’s great bake for a Parisian-inspired afternoon tea
> John Whaite’s Valentine’s Day sweet treat