Smoky Albondigas

Ingredients:

White bread, four crustless slices, torn into small pieces

6tbsp milk

400g beef mince

400g pork mince

1 clove garlic, crushed

Small bunch parsley, chopped

1 egg

Half a teaspoon smoked paprika

Olive oil

 

For the tomato sauce:

2 cloves garlic, sliced

200ml red wine

2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes

A good pinch of smoked paprika

 

  1. Put the bread in a large bowl, tip over the milk and toss until it has all soaked in.
  2. Add the minces, garlic, parsley, egg, smoked paprika and lots of seasoning. Mix together really well using clean hands (yours, or those of a friend) and roll into small meatballs – you’ll be able to make about 32 from this mixture.
  3. Heat a little olive oil in a wide, shallow pan and brown the meatballs all over, in batches. Scoop out once they’re browned.
  4. Add a little more oil to the pan, then add the sliced garlic and sizzle for a couple of minutes. Tip in the wine and boil it until it is almost reduced to nothing. Add the tomatoes and smoked paprika, season and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook for about ten minutes, add back the meatballs and then simmer for twenty minutes until the sauce is thickened and the meatballs are cooked through.