From DN Recipes by David Nagy · Food & Beverage

Chicken Meatballs Sauteed with Garlic and Herbs

Published

Chicken Meatballs Sauteed with Garlic and Herbs
Makes 20 to 30 meatballs

Ingredients:
  • 1 pound ground chicken
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
  • 2 slices white bread
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon plus 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
  • ½ teaspoon black cumin seeds
  • 3 green chiles, chopped
  • ½ onion, grated
  • 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
  • 1/3 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon garam masala
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric
  • Pinch of red pepper flakes
  • 10 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • ⅓ cup (6 g) finely chopped cilantro
  • 1 tablespoon chives
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
  • ¼ teaspoon lemon juice

Directions:
  1. In a mixing bowl, combine the chicken, lemon zest and salt.
  2. In a separate bowl, combine the bread and cream and let it soak well. Mash the bread mixture. Beat the egg and add it to the bread mixture, stirring to combine. Set aside.
  3. In a saute pan set over medium heat, heat 1 teaspoon of the oil. Add the cumin seeds and green chiles and fry for 1 minute. Add the grated onion and ginger-garlic paste and fry for a minute more. Add salt to taste and let cool.
  4. Once the onion mixture is completely cooled, add it to the chicken along with the bread mixture, black pepper, garam masala, turmeric, red pepper flakes and salt to taste. Using clean hands, mix gently. The mixture should be dry; don’t overwork it.
  5. Place a flat-bottomed pan over medium heat and add the remaining 3 tablespoons oil. Lightly oiling your hands, take 1 tablespoon of the mixture and roll it to make a smooth meat ball; repeat to make remaining meatballs. Place the meatballs gently in the hot pan. Fry the meatballs for 5 to 7 minutes, tossing a bit so that all the sides are browned evenly and cooked through. Cover the pan for 2 to 3 minutes to steam-cook the meatballs, if you wish.
  6. Once the meatballs are completely cooked through, add the garlic, cilantro and chives and toss very well. Add the soy sauce and toss for 15 seconds. Turn off the heat. Add the lemon juice and serve immediately.