Dear friends,
Remember the days when we only reached for cauli when a cauliflower cheese was on the menu? Thanks to Tim Noakes and his Banting Revolution, this delicious veg is enjoying something of a renaissance and we love it.
And so we have paired this comforting cauli mash with saucy, spicy Harissa meatballs. This is comfort food deluxe – the type of meal that warms you up from the inside out and could well mend broken hearts!
Enjoy every bite,
HRH Kathleen
You will need
For the meatballs:
3 Tbsp psyllium husk
1kg lamb mince
2 free range eggs
¼ cup dried oreganum
2 tsp ground cumin
A pinch of chilli
¼ cup balsamic glaze
2 Tbsp olive oil
For the sauce:
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 tsp crushed garlic
1½ Tbsp Pesto Princess Harissa Paste
700ml tomato purée
200g grated mozarella
¼ cup grated Parmesan
Fresh oregano for serving
For the cauliflower mash:
700g fresh cauliflower
3–4 Tbsp butter
Salt and pepper
How to
1. Preheat your oven to 250°C .
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the psyllium husk, mince, eggs, dried oreganum, cumin, chilli, balsamic glaze and a pinch of salt and pepper and mix well to combine. Using wet hands, roll the mixture into golf ball sizes and set aside.
3. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large non-stick frying pan over high heat. Cook the meatballs, in batches, turning frequently, until browned. Place in a large oven-proof dish and set aside while you make the sauce.
4. Heat a generous glug of oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for one minute or until slightly golden. Add the Pesto Princess Harissa Paste, tomato purée, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Bring to the boil and cook for about 10 minutes or until it has reduced a little.
5. Pour the sauce into the oven-proof dish over the meatballs and top with the mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake for about 10 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and golden brown.
6. While the meatballs are baking, make the cauliflower mash by steaming the cauliflower (either in a microwave steamer or on the stove top) for about 8 minutes. Once tender, place it into a food processor and add the butter. Blitz until you reach an even consistency (it doesn’t have to be super smooth) and season to taste.
7. Serve the saucy meatballs over the cauli mash and just wait for everyone to ask for seconds!
Feeds 4
Recipe and food styling by Michelle Parkin.
Michael Olivier’s Choice
Simonsig Pinotage 2014
This unwooded pinotage with the softest tannins can tackle the Harissa happily.
It looks like Bottled under cork in a Burgundy shaped bottle. Elegant descriptive Simonsig livery. In the glass, it is a gem bright blood plum in colour at the core, which pales out to garnet purple.
It smells like Layers of berry and cherry fruit with sweet brown spices.
It tastes like The fruit again, strawberry, white heart cherry and roadside brambles. Soft tannins present in a long fruit ending.
