Pork meatballs with anchovies
No one will guess these meatballs contain anchovies - they are deeply savoury with a lift of lemon zest and herbs.
Ingredients
- couple of good handfuls of pork mince (about 500g/17½oz)
- good handful fresh white breadcrumbs
- 1 lemon, zest only
- small handful freshly grated parmesan
- handful flatleaf parsley, roughly chopped
- handful thyme, leaves only
- 8-10 canned anchovies, drained, chopped
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- few good glugs of fruity olive oil
- enough hot chicken or vegetable stock to come halfway up the patties
- Swiss chard leaves, to serve
Method
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
Mix together the pork mince and breadcrumbs in a mixing bowl with the lemon zest and parmesan. Add the herbs and the anchovies, season with a little salt then more generously with freshly ground black pepper.
Using your hands, mix together well and then form the mixture into 6-8 large patties.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan, then fry the patties until brown on both sides. Place in a shallow ovenproof dish and cover with enough stock to come halfway up the pork patties. Cook in the oven for 20 minutes. They will have crisp tops but be deliciously moist underneath.
Serve them in a shallow bowl with some steamed Swiss chard with some of the stock they were cooked in.