Baked Lamb And Apple Meatballs (gary Rhodes)

Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 2 lbs ground lean lamb
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon sage
• 2 apples, peeled and cored
• 1 egg, beaten
• 150 ml wine
• 300 ml chicken stock
• salt and pepper
• cornflour, for thickening (cornstarch) (optional)

Recipe

• 1 preheat the oven to 350°f.
• 2 cut apples into 1/2â€? pieces and set aside.
• 3 melt butter in frying pan and cook onions gently for a few minutes until transparent.
• 4 add nutmeg and cinnamon to the onions and cook for a minute or so.
• 5 remove from heat and add sage; set aside to cool.
• 6 add the apple pieces, egg and ground lamb to the onion mixture once it has cooled; season with salt and pepper and mix well.
• 7 roll mixture into 12 meatballs.
• 8 in a clean frying pan, brown the meatballs in 1 tablespoon of butter making sure to turn carefully so they do not break apart.
• 9 put the browned meatballs into an ovenproof casserole dish.
• 10 pour the wine into a saucepan and boil until it reduces down to about 1/2.
• 11 stir in the chicken stock; pour liquid over meatballs.
• 12 place in the oven uncovered for 45 minutes.
• 13 remove meatballs carefully from casserole dish and keep warm.
• 14 skim any fat off of the juices left in the pan.
• 15 optional: use the cornflour (cornstarch) mixed with a bit of cold water and whisk into the juices for a thicker sauce.
• 16 serve meatballs with the sauce drizzled over top.