Pork meatballs, sherry, pancetta and slow-cooked pea stew recipe
This slow-cooked meatball and pea strew recipe is pretty special. Serve with deliciously creamy mashed potatoes. My top tip: blanching the peas first helps to prevent them from going hard.
Prep time: 10 minutes | Cooking time: 45 minutes
SERVES
Four
INGREDIENTS
Olive oil
100g smoked lardons or large chunks of pancetta
1 onion, finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
200g peas
400g pork mince, straight out of the fridge
30g fresh breadcrumbs
1 egg, beaten
Zest of ½ lemon
A handful of parsley leaves, finely chopped
A pinch of dried chilli
1 tsp fennel seeds, roughly crushed
30g Parmesan, plus extra to serve
275ml dry sherry
Mashed potato, to serve
METHOD
Add a good splash of oil to a deep pan and place over a medium heat. When hot, add the lardons or pancetta and fry until they begin to release their fat.
Add the onions and the garlic and cook slowly for at least 8 minutes until soft and sweet.
Meanwhile, bring a pan of hot water to the boil and blanch the peas for 2 minutes. Drain, keeping the cooking liquid.
Add the cooked peas to the onions and pour over enough cooking water to come halfway up the peas. Turn the heat down to a simmer and cover while you make the meatballs.
Place the remaining ingredients, except the sherry, in a large bowl and season well. Mix with your hands, then shape into ping-pong-sized balls.
Add a good splash of oil to a large frying pan and place over a medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs until golden all over and then add to the peas.
Pour over the sherry and bring to the boil. Turn down to a simmer and cover with greaseproof paper. Leave to simmer for 10-15 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through and the peas are soft and delicious. Serve with mashed potato.