CALAMARS AMB PILOTILLES - PORK, VEAL & PRAWN MEATBALLS WITH CALAMARI

This is a very traditional Catalan recipe that is very easy to make and it comes out really yummy. There are many versions to the recipe, and it is more traditional to do it with cuttlefish than calamari. However, because we live in the country, and we do not have access to big fish co-ops or markets like the ones in Australian big cities, I have adapted the same recipe using calamari. It's still sooo good, you want to make it for a special day when you feel like having the ultimate comfort food.

INGREDIENTS:
For the meatballs
500 g pork and veal mince
300 g green prawns, peeled and chopped (keep the prawn heads)
1 egg
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 bread slice, without the crust, soaked in milk
1 handful of parsley, chopped
a pinch of ground cinnamon
olive oil
salt and pepper
flour
For the calamari
600 g calamari or cuttlefish, cut into 5 cm squares
250 ml red wine
For the sauce
1 onion, chopped very finely
250 gr chopped tin tomatoes
250 ml chicken stock
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 fresh bayleaf
1 handful of parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp flour
25 g pine nuts
salt and pepper

METHOD:
Start by cleaning the calamari tubes and cutting them in the middle and then into long strips. Cut each strip into 5 cm pieces and put in a saucepan with the red wine.

Bring wine to the boil and simmer covered for 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Keep in the saucepan.
Mix the mince with the chopped prawn meat in a big bowl. Add the egg, the garlic and the parsley. Season with salt and pepper and a pinch of ground cinnamon. Squeeze the soaked bread and add to the bowl. Mix with your hands until all ingredients are well combined.

Wet your hand with a bit of cold water and make meatballs the size of a ping-pong ball. Put on a plate. Refrigerate for about 20 - 30 minutes.

Put some flour on a plate and dust the meatballs, shaking off any extra flour.

Put some oil in a frypan and cook the meatballs in batches. Cook until they are brown all over. Keep warm on a plate.

To make the sauce, chop the onion in a food processor until very finely chopped. Add to the frypan, using the same oil from cooking the meatballs together with the prawn heads. Cook until the onion starts to turn brown and then add the flour. Mix well.

Add the tomato and mix well. Let it cook for about 5 minutes and then add the wine from cooking the calamari, the stock, the cinnamon, bayleaf and the parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil and simmer covered for about 10 minutes.

Cook until the sauce has thickened.

Preheat oven to 180C.
Get a big bowl and put a fine colander on top of it. Remove and discard the bayleaf and pour the sauce in the colander.

Sieve pushing with a wooden spoon or a pestle.

Push all solids through the sieve until you get basically nothing left. See picture below.

Scrape the back of the colander for any solids and add to the bowl.

Put the meatballs and the calamari in an ovenproof dish and pour the sauce on top. Sprinkle with the pine nuts and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes.

Serve with some vegetables of your choice or with some crusty bread or any other bread you have at home to mop up the sauce. They are just delicious!!😋

Serves 4 - 6

Here they were served with baked potatoes with paprika and salt and baked asparagus.

Comments

TOMATO CARPACCIO WITH SPRING ONION & GINGER SALSA

There is only one trick to this salad: the tomatoes must be ripe! The rest is easy and it is so delicious, you will want to make it many times. It would be a fantastic side dish to accompany any recipe. It is exceptionally good. INGREDIENTS 3cm piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped 3 spring onions, very finely sliced 40ml sunflower or olive oil 2 tsp good quality sherry vinegar 400g (beef) tomatoes (2-3 depending on size) sliced 2mm thick 1 small green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped 1 1/2 Tbsp finely shredded coriander 1 Tbsp olive oil flaked sea salt METHOD: Put the ginger and 1/2 teaspoon of flaked salt into a pestle and mortar and crush to a fine paste. Transfer to a bowl with the spring onions and stir to combine. Put the oil into a small pan and place on a low heat until just warm: you don't want it to heat too much. Pour over the spring onions and add 1 teaspoon of vinegar. Stir together and set aside. Chop the chili and ...

SLOW-BAKED LAMB SHOULDER

This is a lamb recipe that is so delicious you are going to make it more than once. A favourite of friends and family. I like to accompany with a couscous salad with feta and almonds and a yoghurt and bean dip . Recipes in this blog. INGREDIENTS 1.8 - 2.2 kg lamb shoulder, with or without the bone 2 tsp sea salt flakes 8 cloves garlic, roughly chopped 6 sprigs rosemary, stripped and leaves chopped 1 Tbsp black peppercorns 100ml extra virgin olive oil zest and juice of 1 lemon 3 Tbsp dried oregano 100ml white wine vinegar METHOD: Preheat the oven to 150°C (fan-forced). Trim extra fat from lamb. If you using a shoulder with the bone, make small incisions on the skin. Grind the salt, garlic, rosemary and peppercorns in a mortar and pestle or small food processor. Add the olive oil, lemon zest and juice and dried oregano. If using a boned shoulder, open out the lamb. Massage the marinade into the lamb. Make sure it goes into the small incisions. Pla...

TOFU MEATBALL KORMA

Tonight's meal is the Ottolenghi's Korma Feast. Gosh it was delicious 😋 ! I have been super tired with work and haven't felt much like cooking. We have not been eating very well in the last couple of weeks.... But tonight we really had a great meal even though I had to spend hours in the kitchen 🙄 . But it was worth it 😁 . Tofu meatball korma & Spicy berbere ratatouille with Olive oil flatbreads . All made from scratch. Just superb! The tofu meatballs are just amazing. I have leftover tofu and will make a batch and freeze them for another day. I can eat them just with no sauce or any other sauce. They would be lovely with some tomato base sauce or any curry sauce. But even with a side vegetable dish or salad. My husband thought that they were made with mince meat!! Yum yum! Ingredients ½ red onion, thinly sliced (60g) 2 tbsp lemon juice 40g cashews 20g blanched almonds 6 cardamom pods, shells discarded and seeds removed 2 tsp cumin seeds 2 tsp coriande...

THE BEST ONION GRATIN

I love this recipe. I have to stop myself for not eating more than I need. It goes really well as part of a baked dinner. When you try it, you'd want to make it again and again. 😍😋💚 Ingredients 4 medium red onions, peeled and quartered olive oil sea salt & freshly ground black pepper 8 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves picked 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced a small wineglass of white wine 4 Tbsp crème fraîche 50g gruyère cheese, grated 50g parmesan cheese, grated Preparation Preheat the oven to 200°C. Break the onion quarters apart to give you little 'petals'. Place these in an earthenware oven dish. Drizzle with a couple of glugs of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper, and toss in your thyme and garlic. Mix up well, add your white wine. Cover with a double layer of tinfoil, wrap tightly and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 45 minutes, then remove the dish from the oven, take the tinfoil off and pop th...

ROAST CABBAGE WITH PECORINO

This is the first time I cooked this recipe and it is amazing!! We had leftovers and served warmed the following day for lunch with family members and they all wanted the recipe. It is just a very different way to eat cabbage and it is scrumptious. From Ottolenghi's cookbook 'Simple'. INGREDIENTS 120ml olive oil 2 lemons: finely grate the zest to get 2 Tbsp + 1 Tbsp lemon juice 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 cabbage (sweetheart, pointed cabbage or other), cut lengthways into eighths a small handful of parsley or tarragon leaves, roughly chopped 30g of pecorino or parmesan cheese, shaved salt and black pepper METHOD: Preheat oven to 220°C. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the oil, lemon zest, garlic, 1/4 tsp salt and a good grind of pepper. Set aside 2 Tbsp. Arrange the cabbage on a parchment-lined tray and brush with the oil mixture. Roast for 20-25 minutes, until the edges are crisp and golden-brown. Transfer the c...

HOMECOOKING WITH TERESA

Search This Blog