For a couple months now, every time I open the pantry, I glance at this tiny canister of saffron I managed to buy on an extreme clearance.
The Britannica Encyclopedia explains that saffron is the most expensive herb because it has to be hand harvested from the tiny stigmas in the center of a particular crocus flower. It goes on to say that if you wanted to have a whole pound of saffron, you’d end up harvesting from about 75,000 flowers.
So I’ve also been slightly terrified of trying any of my small bunch of saffron in a recipe that doesn’t hold up.
I finally took the plunge, though, thanks to finding another generally expensive ingredient on sale: ground lamb. And boy, oh, boy, was it good.
Now, let me preface this recipe by saying that you don’t have to include saffron in it. It’s just a little flavor enhancer, but it’s not critical. I would be sure to use the lamb, though. It paired so beautifully with the spices and sauce, I just couldn’t imagine doing it any other way.
The recipe I tried comes from the blog “Moorlands Eater.” You can find the original post at https://moorlandseater.com/moroccan-lamb-meatballs-in-spicy-tomato-sauce/. I added extra garlic, lamb and a few other ingredients in my version.
Moroccan Lamb Meatballs
Ingredients
Spice Mix Ingredients
- 3 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ginger
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Meatball Ingredients
- 1 pound ground/minced lamb
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Tomato Sauce Ingredients
- 1 medium onion diced (I used yellow)
- 8 to 10 cloves garlic minced
- 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
- a small pinch of saffron strands soaked in 1 tablespoon warm water
- 1 tablespoon tomato puree
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 2 teaspoon ground coriander
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients for the spice mix in a bowl, stir it well, and set it aside.
- For the meatballs, add the lamb to a mixing bowl along with about one-third of the spice mixture, salt and pepper. Mix well with a spoon or your hands until everything is well incorporated.
- Roll the lamb into about one-inch balls.
- In a large skillet with a lid, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the meatballs, in batches, and brown on all sides (don’t worry if they’re cooked through yet). Once they’re browned, remove them from the pan and place them to the side on a plate.
- Start building the sauce by adding the onions to the skillet, sauteing until they are cooked through. Add in the garlic. Let it saute for one to two minutes or until lightly browned and fragrant.
- Add the rest of the spice mixture, and saute for a couple minutes, letting it soak up any remaining oil or juices in the pan.
- Add the diced tomatoes. Pour three-fourths cup of water into the empty can, and swirl it around to catch any remaining juices, and then pour that into the skillet, too. Also add in the saffron/water mixture, tomato puree, honey, coriander, salt and pepper. Stir well to combine.
- Raise the heat a bit to bring the mixture to a boil, and then reduce the heat to low. Simmer the sauce without a lid on the pan for 10 minutes.
- Put the meatballs into the pan, stirring them to make sure they’re coated in the sauce. Add the lid and simmer for another 10 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through. (Lamb should be cooked to 160 degrees. Be careful not to go far past that. It can dry out very quickly.)
- Remove the skillet from the heat and serve immediately. We had ours with couscous with peas and a big dollop of plain Greek yogurt.
These were absolutely delicious, and it reheated well as leftovers, too. This is definitely a spicy dish, but it’s not overly scary, and if you serve it with some yogurt, not only do the flavors meld really well, but it also helps cool your tongue a bit.
This was earthy and full of great spices, many of which I don’t get to use off my spice rack very often.
Plus, the added bonus was I finally got to use my saffron, which made me feel quite fancy, to say the least. Now I just have to figure out how I will use the rest of it.
This piece first appeared in print Sept. 5, 2024.
Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.
