Flavourful Cooking

Nº 29 · Spanish & Mediterranean · serves 4

Spanish Meatballs with Carrots and Peas

In Spain: Albóndigas en salsa

Tender little meatballs in a gentle Spanish gravy with carrots and peas: a tapas classic that works every bit as well as a family meal.

€7–9approx. €1.75–2.25 ppMild25 min prepLOW 4–5 hrs · HIGH 2–3 hrsFreezes well
Spanish Meatballs with Carrots and Peas

Ingredients serves 4

Tick off what you already have at home.

  • CarniceríaMercadonaLidl

    Aisle: carnicería. Ask for 'mitad cerdo, mitad ternera'; pre-packed it is usually called 'picada mixta'.

  • Any supermarket

    Aisle: huevos. Eggs are not refrigerated in Spanish shops; that is normal.

  • Any supermarket

    Aisle: frutería. Loose or in nets; purple garlic (ajo morado) is often the most aromatic.

  • MercadonaLidlMAS

    Aisle: aceites. Andalusia is olive oil country: even own-brand oils are good value, often sold by the litre.

  • Any supermarket

    Aisle: bebidas / vinos. A regular dry white wine is usually better than salted 'vino para cocinar'.

  • Any supermarket

    Aisle: caldos y sopas. Stock comes in cartons near the soups; compare salt levels.

  • Any supermarketMercado municipal

    Aisle: frutería. At the market parsley is sometimes thrown in free with your veg; just ask.

To serve

Method

  1. 1

    Mix the mince, egg, soaked breadcrumbs, half the garlic, a little parsley, salt and pepper. With wet hands, roll into about 20 meatballs.

  2. 2

    Roll them in 1 tbsp flour and brown them all over in olive oil in batches; they don't need to be cooked through yet. Put them in the slow cooker.

  3. 3

    Soften the onion, carrot and the rest of the garlic in the same pan for 4 minutes. Sprinkle over the remaining flour, deglaze with the wine (optional) and let it bubble for 2 minutes.

  4. 4

    Stir in the stock, scrape up the browned bits and pour the sauce over the meatballs. Cook for 4–5 hours on LOW or 2–3 hours on HIGH.

  5. 5

    Stir in the peas (optional) for the last half hour. Taste the sauce; the meatballs are done when they are no longer pink inside.

Flavourful Cooking · slowcookerspain.com/en/recipes/spanish-meatballs-with-carrots-and-peas/