Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Veal Meatballs with Fingerling Potatoes, Green Beans and Leek Saffron Cream Cheese Sauce

Sharl felt like meatballs for dinner, but instead of making them with traditional red sauce and spaghetti, I experimented a little and came up with this...it was SO good!
I've never cooked leeks before, so of course I couldn't resist buying some to try!
To wash leeks properly (because there is a lot of sand and soil hidden in the layers), cut leeks lenghtwise and slice thinly crosswise into half moon. Immerse leeks in a large bowl of cold water and separate layers to allow dirt to fall to the bottom of the bowl. They are so delicious with a really mild onion flavour. I'm already thinking about what to make with the rest of the leeks!


Ingredients
500g ground veal
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
2-3 tbsp Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1 egg
1 large leek sliced (white parts and light green parts only)
splash of vermouth or brandy
3 tbsp cream cheese
1/2 cup milk
pinch of saffron
Fingerling potatoes, scrubbed
Green beans, trimmed

Directions
Place fingerling potatoes in a pot of water to boil for about 15-17 minutes.
Meanwhile, use a fork to gently mix ground veal, half of the minced garlic, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, thyme and egg in a large bowl. Form into meatballs and fry in a non-stick skillet until browned and cooked through (about 7 minutes per side). When meatballs are cooked, remove from pan and allow to rest on a plate lined with paper towel.
Add the green beans to the pot of potatoes to steam for about 10 minutes while you cook the cream sauce.
Add a little olive oil to the pan and sauté the rest of the garlic and the leeks until softened. (You can add a splash of vermouth or brandy at this point if desired...I added vermouth) Melt the cream cheese in the pan and add enough milk to thin out the sauce a little. Add pinch of saffron and season with salt and pepper. Serve sauce over meatballs and serve alongside fingerling potatoes and steamed green beans.

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