Albóndigas with Spiced Tomato Sauce excerpted from Tapas: Delicious little plates to share from Spain by Ryland Peters & Small. Photography by Clare Winfield.
Bring a little taste of Spain to your table with this collection of irresistible small plates to enjoy with drinks.
Served in bars all over Spain, tapas are the ultimate in bar snacks. From a simple bowl of olives to a mouthwatering selection of seafood, there is always something for everyone. Tapas are great shared among friends, making them the perfect choice for party nibbles or as an accompaniment to pre-dinner drinks. You can also serve them as a convivial appetizer for sharing or cook a range of dishes to make a more substantial lunch or dinner.
Fish and Seafood are an essential part of any tapas menu and include delicious morsels such as Gambas al Ajillo (garlic shrimp) and Tigre Tapas (mussels in overcoats). No tapas selection is complete without traditional Meat and Poultry dishes, such as Cordero al Limón (lamb with lemon) and Chorizo al Vino (chorizo in red wine). Vegetables and Little Extras include classics such as Tortilla Española (Spanish omelet) and everyone’s favorite vegetarian tapas dish, Patatas Bravas (potatoes in tomato sauce). There are also essential accompaniments like Alioli and Almendras Saladas (salted almonds).
This book contains all of the recipes you need to discover a new way of eating and entertaining.
Albóndigas with Spiced Tomato Sauce
Albóndigas are one of the classic tapas dishes and most deserving of their popularity. You can choose to serve these meatballs with alioli and lemon rather than the tomato sauce – this is a common Spanish variation. The meatballs reheat well.
150 g/6 oz. minced/ ground pork
150 g/6 oz. minced/ ground veal
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
½ small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cloves
30 g/¼ cup breadcrumbs
1 egg
1 tsp single/light cream
plain/all-purpose flour, for dusting
2 tablespoons olive oil salt and white pepper
TOMATO SAUCE
125 ml/½ cup white wine
400 g/14 oz. canned chopped tomatoes
½ small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
½ tsp paprika
1 fresh bay leaf
SERVES 4
To make the meatballs, put the pork and veal in a bowl, then add the lemon juice, onion, garlic, parsley, nutmeg, cloves, breadcrumbs, egg, cream, salt and pepper. Mix well, then roll into walnut-sized balls. Dust with flour.
Heat the oil in a flameproof casserole until smoking, add the meatballs and sauté until browned on all sides. Reduce the heat to low. Add the wine, tomatoes, onion, garlic, paprika, bay leaf and 100 ml/1⁄3 cup water. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. The mixture should be quite liquid, so add extra water if necessary. Serve warm.
Recipe reprinted with permission from Ryland Peters & Small.