• Popular in North African cuisine, chermoula is a marinade full of earthy spices. Its robust flavours make it the perfect sauce for these tender meatballs, and the rich feta adds a delicious creaminess. Chermoula lamb meatballs with broad beans, feta and mint makes a perfect early autumn dinner when served with orzo, spaghetti or rice.

    Recipe by Illanique van Aswegen

    Chermoula lamb meatballs with broad beans, feta and mint

    Serves: 4
    Cooking Time: 1 hr

    Ingredients

    • Meatballs

    • 30ml (2 tbsp) olive oil
    • 1 small onion, peeled and finely diced
    • 1 red pepper, seeds removed and finely diced
    • 30ml (2 tbsp) crushed garlic
    • 10ml (2 tbsp) capers, drained
    • 5ml (1 tsp) ground cumin
    • 2,5ml (½ tsp) ground coriander
    • 2,5ml (½ tsp) dried chilli flakes
    • 10ml (2 tsp) paprika
    • 3,75ml (¾ tsp) fine salt
    • 300g minced lamb
    • 150g minced beef
    • 5ml (1 tsp) fresh mint, finely chopped
    • 45ml (3 tbsp) fresh coriander, finely chopped
    • 2 large eggs
    • Broad beans

    • 240g (2 cups) broad beans, shelled
    • 30ml (2 tbsp) olive oil
    • 5ml (1 tsp) crushed garlic
    • 4 spring onions, thinly sliced
    • 30ml (2 tbsp) fresh oregano leaves
    • 30ml (2 tbsp) lemon juice
    • 500ml (2 cups) chicken stock, warm
    • To serve

    • 200g (2 discs) feta
    • 125ml (½ cup) fresh mint leaves
    • orzo, spaghetti or rice

    Instructions

    1

    For the meatballs, heat 15ml (1 tbsp) of the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Sauté the onion and red pepper until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, capers, cumin, ground coriander, chilli flakes, paprika and salt.

    2

    Add this mixture to the lamb and beef mince. Stir in the chopped mint and fresh coriander.

    3

    Add the eggs to the mince and mix well. Shape the mince mixture into golf ball-sized balls.

    4

    Heat the remaining olive oil in a large pan that has a lid. Sear the meatballs (uncovered) over high heat in 2 – 3 batches for about 5 minutes each and remove from the pan.

    5

    For the broad beans, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch the beans for 2 minutes and refresh in cold water. Peel off the skins.

    6

    Heat the olive oil over medium heat in the same pan used to sear the meatballs. Stir in the blanched beans, garlic, spring onions and oregano, and fry for 1 minute. Add the lemon juice and warm stock. Cook the beans, with the lid on, for about 15 minutes. Gently add the meatballs and cook, covered, for another 25 minutes.

    7

    To serve, place the meatballs and beans in a serving dish and top with crumbled feta and mint leaves. Serve with orzo, spaghetti or rice.

     

     

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