Casablanca meatballs

This is a modified recipe of a tagine of meatballs we had in the medina of Casablanca, in a restaurant that was barely a hole in the wall. It cost about one dollar per person and was served with typical Moroccan bread. On the table was salt and cumin powder.

Casablanca Meatballs

For the sauce:

1 can peeled tomatoes

1 medium carrot, finely diced

1 small celery stick, finely sliced

½ red pepper, finely diced

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1tsp paprika

1 tbs chopped coriander

1tbs chopped parsley

1 tsp heaped of crushed garlic

Salt and pepper to taste

3tbs oil

For the meatballs:

300g lean mince

1 small onion chopped finely

1tsp cumin powder

1tsp crushed garlic

1tsp dried herbes de Provence

½ tsp salt

Pepper (optional)

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4 eggs

100g cheese (cheddar or gouda)

–       in a shallow saucepan or tagine, heat oil

–       add red pepper, onion, celery and carrot, mix well and leave to cook with lid on until onion and celery are translucent

–       add garlic and cook until fragrant

–       roughly chop tomatoes and add into mixture with the juice from the can

–       mix well and put lid on and leave to cook on slow fire for 20 minutes

–       meanwhile mix all the ingredients for the meatballs together

–       shape into small balls – smaller than ping pong ball (bite size)

–       when sauce is cooked, add paprika, salt and pepper and coriander and parsley

–       adjust the consistency of the sauce with a little stock or water – it should be runny (not thick)

–       gently lower meatballs into the sauce, when the sauce bubbles, put lid back on and leave to cook for 5 min on reduced heat

–       one at a time, gently crack eggs on the mixture, spacing them evenly

–       cut the cheese into 8cm sticks and place them evenly around the eggs.

–       Close the lid and leave to cook on high for 3 minutes.

–       Egg whites should be cooked, check from time to time if soft yolk is preferred

–       Serve with crusty bread as soon as egg is ready