Turkey Meatballs in a Tomato Basil Ragu
con Anchovy Cilatro Butter
A couple of weeks ago, I hosted a little dinner party (slash) text vs. movie discussion for Ntozake Shange's,
For Colored Girls Who Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf .
Below are pictures of a dish I served
tapas style for my guests to enjoy! The recipe is provided, in case you wish to try this dish for yourself :) As listed, the recipe below serves up to 12+ people. Reduce the ingredients by half to replicate this recipe for a smaller audience.
Anchovy Cilantro Butter
1/2 a tube of Anchovy Paste (1.58oz tube)
1 stick of unsalted Butter (room temperature)
2 tbsps. of chopped Cilantro
1 clove of minced Garlic
Mix ingredients in a small container with an airtight lid and store in refrigerator until ready to use.
The butter will last for up to 2 weeks.
Tomato Basil Ragu
1 (28oz.) can of crushed Tomatoes
1 tbsp. of chili garlic sauce
4 stems of Basil (washed and de-stemmed)
4 cloves of Garlic (peeled, smashed, and chopped)
1 (10oz.) can of Anchovies in olive oil
1/2 cup of water
Over medium heat, combine: garlic, anchovies+oil, tomatoes, and chili sauce in a heavy bottom pot. Cook for five minutes and stir to prevent sticking. Next add the water and basil, cover the pot and reduce heat to low. Cook the sauce over low heat for up to two hours.
Turkey Meatballs
3lbs. of Lean Ground Turkey
1-1/2 lbs. of loose Sage Turkey Sausage*
1/2 cup of Italian flavored Bread Crumbs
1 tbsp. of Seasoning Salt
2 medium eggs
1/3 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 cup of chopped Vidalia Onions
1 green Bell Pepper (chopped)
1 yellow Bell Pepper (chopped)
1 red Bell Pepper (chopped)
3 cloves of Garlic (peeled, smashed, and diced)
1 tbsp. of chili garlic sauce
*If using turkey sausage links, run the knife across the casing to release the sausage.
Special Hardware
Ice Cream Scoop
2 disposable Cooking Trays (depending on how large you make your meatballs)
Preheat oven to 400° degrees. Pour oil in a hot skillet and add onions, bell peppers, and garlic. Cover and sweat vegetables on medium low heat until they are translucent (if needed, baste with a little water to prevent burning/sticking). Remove skillet from heat and let rest for up to five minutes before adding mixture to ground turkey.
In a large bowl add: ground turkey, sausage, eggs, vegetables, chili sauce, seasoning salt, and bread crumbs. Mix ingredients thoroughly. Next, use the ice cream scoop to make meatballs and place them in on cooking trays for baking. Add just enough water to each pan to prevent burning or sticking.
Place meatballs in the oven for 30 minutes or until cooked all the way through. Finish the dish by pouring equal amounts of the ragu over the meatballs. Top the meatballs with a dollop of Anchovy butter after plating.
As shown in the picture, I like to serve the meatballs on toasted bread with a tomato/onion/lime zest salsa to garnish.
