Ottolenghi

Turkey and sweetcorn meatballs with roasted pepper sauce.

The Ottolenghi cookbook has been on my Amazon wish list for a while, I finally succumbed and it was well worth it. The cake section of this book had my daughter drooling, she has a list of teacakes I must bake soon.

This recipe caught my eye, and as I had everything to hand, decided to give it a go.

Turkey and sweetcorn meatballs with roasted pepper sauce

serves 4

100g sweetcorn kernels (fresh or frozen)

3 slices of stale white bread, crusts removed

500g minced organic turkey breast

1 free range egg

4 spring onions, finely chopped

2 tbsp finely chopped parsley

2 1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 1/2 tsp black pepper

1 garlic clove, crushed

sunflower oil for frying

Roasted pepper sauce

4 red peppers

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp salt

25g coriander, leaves and stalks

1 garlic clove, peeled

1 small mild chilli, de-seeded

2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

tbsp cider vinegar or white wine vinegar

1. Preheat the oven to 200c/ gas mark 6. To prepare the peppers for the sauce, quarter them with a sharp knife and shave off the white parts and the seeds. Put them in a roasting tray and toss with 2 tbsp of the olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, then roast in the oven for 35 minutes or until soft. Transfer the peppers to a bowl and cover with cling film. Once they have cooled down a little, you can peel them, although it isn't necessary for this sauce. In any case, place them in a blender or food processor with their roasting juices and add the rest of the sauce ingredients. Process until smooth, then taste and adjust the salt if necessary. Set aside.

2. For the meatballs, place a heavy, non-stick frying pan over a high heat and throw in the corn kernels. Toss them in the hot pan for 2-3 minutes until lightly blackened. Remove and leave to cool.

3. Soak the bread in cold water for a minute, then squeeze well and crumble into a large bowl. Add all the rest of the ingredients except the sunflower oil and mix well with your hands.

4. Pour a 5mm depth of sunflower oil into your heavy frying pan. Allow it to heat up well and then fry about a teaspoonful of the mince mix in it. Remove, let cool a little and then taste. Adjust the amount of salt and pepper in the uncooked mixture to your liking.

5. With wet hands, shape the mince mix into balls, about the size of golf balls. Cook them in small batches in the hot oil, turning them around in the pan until they are golden brown allover. Transfer to an oven tray, place in the oven at 200c and cook for about 5 minutes. When you press one with your finger, the meat should bounce back. If unsure, break one open to check that it is cooked inside. Serve hot or warm, with the pepper sauce on the side.

Simple, tasty food, what more could you want. The roast pepper sauce was fantastic, bursting with colour and flavour, a great recipe.