Albondigas - Spanish Meatballs in Tomato Sauce
Recipe for a classic Spanish tapas dish, Albondigas - Spanish meatballs in tomato sauce.Serves 6-8 - depending on whether it is served as tapas or as a main course with, for example, bread and a salad. Makes about 30 meatballs.
Servings 8 people
Calories 326kcal
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 2 slices white bread, crusts removed, cut into cubes
- 25 ml milk
- 450 g minced beef
- 450 g minced pork
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, grated or crushed
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 handful parsley, finely chopped
- Plain flour
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Oil
Tomato sauce
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 3 tbsp tomato purée
- 1/2-1 tsp smoked paprika
- 100 ml red wine
- 2 tins chopped tomatoes
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 pinch sugar
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Oil
To serve
- Chopped parsley
- Baguette or other bread
- Fried potatoes or a hearty salad
Instructions
Meatballs
- Soak the bread in the milk.
- Put both types of mince in a bowl with the onion, garlic, soaked bread, eggs, cumin and parsley. Season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Mix the mince thoroughly, ideally with a hand mixer - make sure everything is well combined.
- Divide the mixture into small portions of about 40 g each and roll them into meatballs. Then toss them in plain flour.
- Heat a good glug of oil in a deep frying pan and fry the meatballs over a medium heat until golden. They only need to be browned - they will finish cooking in the sauce.Set the meatballs aside on a plate.
Tomato sauce
- Make the sauce in the same pan. Fry the onion and garlic until the onion is translucent, then add the tomato purée and smoked paprika. Heat through for a moment.
- Pour in the red wine and let it reduce for a moment, then add the chopped tomatoes and the bay leaf. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Return the meatballs to the sauce and let it simmer over a low to medium heat for about 15-20 minutes - or until the meatballs are cooked through and the sauce has thickened slightly.
- Season to taste with a little sugar, salt and freshly ground black pepper - and serve with, for example, bread, fried potatoes or a hearty salad.
Nutrition
Calories: 326kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.004g | Cholesterol: 111mg | Sodium: 173mg | Potassium: 474mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 270IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 3mg