My Sweet and Spicy Meatballs

I conjured this recipe up a good 5 years ago and they’ve gone down an absolute treat every time i’ve cooked them!  I urge you to try these – they’re a perfect mix of the fresh flavours of Italy (tomato, mozzarella, basil) and the smokey flavour of Spanish chorizo with some added paprika!

It’s well worth investing in good quality meatballs (or make your own) and a good quality chorizo ring (you won’t need much oil for frying – the oil in the chorizo will more than suffice – in fact you may have to drain some off before adding the sauce contents)

Perfect for feeding a crowd!

Here’s the recipe:

12 beef meatballs
1 chorizo ring (chopped)
1 red onion
3 garlic cloves
2 x tins of chopped tomatoes
1 jar of sweet peppadew peppers (i also highly recommend el Navaricco piquillo peppers)
2 tablespoons of ketchup
1 mozzarella ball (chopped)
Handful of fresh basil
Splash of red wine
1 teaspoon of paprika
10-12 drops of tabasco
1 garlic bread (i urge you to use a £1 supermarket baton (don’t go all focaccia)

1. Finely chop the onion, garlic and chorizo
2. Heat oil to a high temperature and fry the meatballs, onions and garlic until brown.  Add the chorizo and fry for a further 5 to 6 minutes (you may need to drain some oil as the chorizo will give off some excess)
3. Add the chopped tomatoes, chopped sweet peppers, ketchup, tabasco, paprika and red wine.
4. Bring to the boil then lower to a medium heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
5. Put the garlic bread in a pre-heated oven.
6. When the sauce has reduced slightly, add the chopped mozzarella ball and melt through the sauce.
7. Simmer the meatballs for a further 3 to 4 minutes until reduced to a nice thick and rich sauce.
8. Serve the meatballs in a bowl and garnish with some fresh basil.
9. Season to taste