We have received a number of requests for this recipe after our appearance on foodography. Tonight we served it with pumpkin macaroni rigate. And if you are not in the mood for meatballs, the pressure cooked turkey stock is a true time saver for Thanksgiving proper.
Thanksgiving Meatballs
7 grams smoked paprika
1 gram nutmeg
1.5 grams red pepper flakes
3 grams fennel seeds
5 grams garlic powder
15 grams salt
110 grams celery (5 celery branches)
300 grams onion (1 onion)
100 grams shiitake mushrooms
250 grams sliced bacon
250 grams Challah Bread
35 grams potato flakes
200 grams (4 large) eggs
60 grams heavy cream
25 grams soy sauce
10 grams crystal hot sauce
7 grams sage leaves
1000 grams ground turkey thigh
500 grams ground turkey breast
Reserved turkey stock
375 grams red wine
Preheat he oven to 350°F
Put the paprika, nutmeg, red pepper flakes, fennel seed, garlic powder and salt into a spice grinder. Grind into a fine powder. Put the celery, onion, and shiitake mushrooms into a food processor and process to a fine mince. Mince the bacon by hand or in a food processor. Cook it in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it is browned and crispy. Add the minced vegetables and spices mixture and cook until the vegetables are just tender. Remove from the heat and put the mixture into a bowl.
While the bacon and vegetables are cooking, cut the bread into a 2 cm dice and toast in the oven until it is a foxy brown, about 15 minutes. Put the potato flakes in a heatproof skillet and toast them in the oven until they are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add the toasted Challah bread and toasted potato flakes to the warm vegetables and mix to combine. Allow this mixture to cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
Pre-heat the oven to 325°F
Put the eggs, heavy cream, soy sauce, hot sauce and sage leaves bread into a blender and puree on medium speed until homogeneous. Pour the egg mixture over the vegetable-bread base. Add the turkey thigh meat and turkey breast meat. Mix all the ingredients together. Use your fingertips to break up the Challah so that is combined with everything else. Shape the meatball mixture into 4cm meatballs and lay them out on a tray.
Once the oven is up to temperature, put the turkey stock and red wine in a Dutch oven or roasting pan large enough to hold all the meatballs and the liquid and put it in the oven to heat up. Once all the meatballs are made, put them in the hot broth, put the lid on the pan and put it back in the oven. Cook the meatballs for 45 minutes, until they are firm. Remove the meatballs from the oven and allow them to cool in their braising liquid. To serve, warm as you desire: in broth, sauce, brown slowly in a sauté pan in butter, broil in the oven, or deep fry and serve with your favorite cranberry sauce.
Pressure Cooked Turkey Stock
1000 grams turkey wings (2 wings)
1500 grams water
600 grams apple cider
50 grams dark miso
500 grams smoked turkey wings (1 wing)
135 grams celery (6 celery branches)
50 grams mushroom stems
50 grams garlic (1 head of garlic)
225 grams onion (2/3 onion)
200 grams carrot (5 carrots)
225 grams kimchi
Preheat an oven to 400°F.
Put the turkey wings onto a sheet pan and roast them in the oven until they are a rich golden brown, about 45 minutes. Put them into a pressure cooker with all of the remaining ingredients. Cook the stock for 30 minutes at high pressure. Let the pressure dissipate naturally and then strain the stock. Let it cool it down in an ice bath and reserve until needed.