Lamb meatballs with olives and feta recipe

A warming pot of lamb meatballs with olives and feta makes an easy mid-week or weekend meal and if you’ve got friends coming round it’s an easy dish to double or treble to feed a crowd. Serve with couscous or quinoa, to soak up the lovely juices, and a simple green salad. Use the best quality lamb mince you can afford, the cheaper it is the fattier it’s likely to be. Meatballs freeze well so why not make a double batch and keep some on standby for another meal to serve with chips or in pitta bread with salad when time is short.

Ingredients

• 500g lamb mince
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1tsp ground cumin
• 1tsp ground coriander
• 1tsp paprika
• ½tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 egg
• 2tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1-2 red chillies, sliced
• 1tbsp plain flour
• 150ml lamb or beef stock
• 150ml red wine
• 100g black olives
• 100g feta cheese, crumbled
• Chopped fresh chives and parsley, to garnish

Method

1. To make the meatballs, place the lamb in a mixing bowl. Add the garlic, cumin, coriander, paprika, cinnamon and egg. Season well with salt and freshly ground pepper and, using your hands, mix until thoroughly combined. Shape into 24 even-sized balls.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan, add the meatballs and fry for 10 mins, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside.
3. Drain off all but 2tbsp oil from the pan. Add the onion and fry for 5 mins to soften. Add the chillies, cook for 2 mins. then stir in the flour and cook for 30 secs. Gradually pour in the stock and wine and bring to the boil, stirring. Reduce the heat, simmer for 5 mins then return the meatballs to the pan, add the olives and simmer for a further 5 mins, spooning the sauce over the meatballs. Sprinkle over the feta cheese and herbs to serve.