Turkey and sweetcorn meatballs

Another deep-frying delicious dish from Ottolenghi.  I have renewed this cookbook three times from library already! The vibrant-colour roasted pepper sauce is really eye-catching. In the Chinese way you can dip the meatball in Worcestershire sauce or Chinese vinegar.

Turkey and sweetcorn meatballs

Adapted from Ottolenghi :the cookbook

Serves 4 

Ingrediants:

100g sweetcorn kernels (fresh or frozen)
3 slices of stale white bread, crusts removed

500g minced turkey breast

1 free-range egg

4 green onions, finely chopped

2 tbsp finely chopped parsley

2  ½ tsp ground cumin

1 ½ tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

1 garlic clove, crushed
1 Tbs Chinese cooking wine
1 tsp ginger chopped 

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 dried chilli, deseeded

2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

2 tbsp cider vinegar or white wine vinegar

Direction:

Preheat the oven to 200C. 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 roast in the oven for 35 minutes or until soft. Transfer the hot peppers to a bowl and cover it with cling film. 
Once they have cooled down a little, you can peel them. 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.

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.

Soak the bread in cold water for a minute, then squeeze well and crumble it into a large bowl. Add all the rest of the ingredients except the sunflower oil and mix well.
Pour a 5mm depth of sunflower oil into heavy frying pan. Allow it to heat up well and then fry about a teaspoon 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.

With wet hands or two spoons, 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 all over. Transfer to an oven tray, place in the oven at 200C/Gas mark 6 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.