Goat Meatballs with Dumplings

Ingredients

Ingredients for the meatballs
300g minced goat Any minced meat will work; Lamb is a good substitute for goat
200g minced beef
100g breadcrumbs
1 egg beaten
1 tbsp toasted and ground cumin seeds
1 tbsp toasted and ground fennel seeds
1 tbsp toasted and ground cinnamon stick
1 tbsp toasted and ground smoked paprika (sweet)
2 tbsp chopped mint
2 tbsp chopped parsley
2 tbsp chopped dill
2 tbsp chopped coriander
Salt and pepper
Olive oil to shallow fry
1 whole onion finely diced
4 cloves of garlic crushed
1 thumb of ginger grated
Ingredients for the sauce
4½ tbsp olive oil
6 spring onions sliced
2 thumbs of ginger grated
4 tomatoes peeled and chopped
2 sprigs of thyme
3 sprigs of rosemary picked and chopped
5 cloves of garlic crushed and chopped
200g kale/spinach
600ml chicken stock (any good stock will work)
1 red pepper, roasted peeled and chopped
The zest and juice of 1 lemon
1tbsp chopped coriander
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tbsp chopped mint
Ingredients for dumplings
300g fine white cornmeal
100g self raising flour
300ml Tusker lager
200g feta cheese
½tbsp coriander seeds
1tbsp cumin toasted and ground
3 cloves garlic crushed to a paste
6 sliced spring onions
2 thumbs of ginger grated
A handful of chopped coriander
1 litre of sunflower oil for deep frying

Method

1. Cook the onions, garlic, ginger and spices for the meatballs until soft and sweet, and tip out onto a plate and leave to cool.

2. Once cool, place with the rest of the ingredients for the meatballs into a mixing bowl with a teaspoon of salt and some ground black pepper. To test the seasoning, make a small ball, cook through and taste, adding more salt and pepper where desired. Mix thoroughly with your hands and shape into golf ball sized meatballs. Use a bowl of warm water to wet your hands before moulding – this will make it easier. Place the meatballs in the fridge for 30 minutes.

3. Use a heavy based pan wide enough to fit in all of your meatballs. Sear the meatballs in two batches in a tablespoon of olive oil for each batch.

4. Remove from the pan and add the remaining olive oil, spring onions, garlic and ginger. Cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes. Keep it moving and add the tomatoes, red pepper, rosemary and thyme, and 110ml of the stock.

5. Have a good scrape around the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to incorporate any caramelized remnants into the sauce. Now return the meatballs to the pan with the rest of the stock and the lemon zest. Cook on a gentle heat for around 20 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through.

6. Whilst this is cooking you can get started on the dumplings. Put the cornmeal flour and self raising flour into a bowl. Add the lager and leave to sit for 10 minutes. Then add the spring onion, spices, garlic and ginger, and mix well. Gently fold in the feta cheese and herbs. The consistency of the batter should be thick enough to hold on a spoon but will slide off gently.

7. Pour your vegetable oil into a large sturdy pan on the back of the stove and heat to 170 degrees Celsius. If you don't have a thermometer drop a small amount of batter in to test - if it turns crisp and golden and rises to the top then it is ready to fry. Make sure the oil isn't too hot or the dumplings will burn on the outside and be raw in the middle.

8. Drop spoonfuls of the mixture into the oil six at a time, being careful not to overcrowd. Take out carefully onto a plate lined with kitchen towel and keep warm while frying the other batches. Serve with wedges of lemon and sea salt.

9. Check back on your meatballs. If the stock is too thin, remove the lid and reduce until you have a thick glossy sauce. Now add the kale or spinach and fold through gently. Replace the lid to heat thoroughly.

10. Finish with the herbs and a squeeze of lemon juice – don’t add too much as you don’t want it too sharp!

11. Enjoy!

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