Name: Spiced chicken meatballs with noodles, basil & broth
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 1 large onion roughly chopped; thumb-size piece fresh root ginger; 1-2 long red chillies finely chopped (seeds in or out, you decide); 1 garlic clove crushed; 6 white peppercorns crushed; 20g pack coriander stalks, roots if you have them and leaves, chopped and kept separate, plus sprigs to finish; 50ml milk; 100g fresh white breadcrumbs; 1kg quality chicken mince; 3 tbsp vegetable oil; 1 ½l chicken stock; 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil; 3 tbsp fish sauce; 6 star anise; thumb-size piece fresh root ginger sliced; ½ tsp black peppercorns; 8 spring onions thinly sliced; 300g egg noodles cooked; sliced chillies to taste (optional); 1 small bunch basil leaves picked

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Spiced chicken meatballs with noodles, basil & broth

Spiced chicken meatballs with noodles, basil & broth

John Torode

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Serves 6

Easy

Prep: 40 mins

Cook: 40 mins

A star rating of 4.2 out of 5.22 ratingsRate

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This fragrant and filling dish is an excellent dinner party choice

Freezable (Only the meatballs can be frozen)

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A star rating of 4.5 out of 5.29 ratings

Ingredients

Nutrition

Units:

MetricUS

1 large onion

roughly chopped
thumb-size piece fresh root ginger
1-2 long red chillies

finely chopped (seeds in or out, you decide)
1 garlic clove

crushed
6 white peppercorns

crushed
20g pack coriander

stalks, roots if you have them and leaves, chopped and kept separate, plus sprigs to finish
50ml milk
100g fresh white breadcrumbs
1kg quality chicken

mince
3 tbsp vegetable oil

For the broth

1 ½l chicken stock
2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
3 tbsp fish sauce
6 star anise
thumb-size piece fresh root ginger

sliced
½ tsp black peppercorns
8 spring onions

thinly sliced
300g egg noodles

cooked
sliced chillies

to taste (optional)
1 small bunch basil

leaves picked

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Nutrition: per serving

kcal536
fat16g
saturates3g
carbs54g
sugars4g
fibre2g
protein48g
salt4.74g

Method

step 1

Whizz the onion, ginger, chillies, garlic, white pepper and half of the coriander stalks, roots (if using) and leaves in a food processor until finely chopped. Mix the milk and breadcrumbs together in a large bowl. Add the onion mix and chicken into the breadcrumbs, then season. Now, really mix – I mean mix – until the whole thing becomes a paste rather than lumpy. If you have a tabletop mixer, then use that instead of your hands. Shape into small balls around the size of a 50p piece. Place a large frying pan or casserole over a medium heat, add a drizzle of oil then fry the balls until well coloured – about 10 mins. You’ll need to do this in batches, adding more oil each time. Set aside.
step 2

For the broth, put the stock into a large saucepan, bring to the boil, then simmer. Add the sesame oil, fish sauce, ginger, remaining coriander stalks and roots, star anise and peppercorns. Simmer, covered, for 20 mins. Add the spring onions, noodles and chillies, if using. Take 6 large bowls, then divide the noodles between them – tongs are the best tool. Drop in the warm meatballs then ladle in the stock. Scatter with coriander and basil leaves then tuck in.

RECIPE TIPS

CHICKEN MINCE

Chicken mince can be hard to find. Ask your butcher, or buy boned thighs and chicken breasts, chop them, then whizz in the food processor.

Recipe from Good Food magazine, September 2009

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A star rating of 4.2 out of 5.22 ratings

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