Boulet Recipes

BOULETTES

Steps:

• Mix meat and seasonings. Shape into 1 inch meatballs.
• Put enough water in saucepan that the meatballs will be covered. Bring to a boil.
• Add 1 meatball at a time so water does not stop boiling.
• Cook until liquid is reduced to about 1c - about 30 minutes.
• Whisk in flour to thicken and reseason to taste. Should you overthicken, just add more water to desired consistency.
• Serve over rice or noodles or by itself.

FRENCH CANADIAN RAGOûT DE BOULETTES (MEATBALL STEW)

Steps:

• 1. Grind all three meats together in a food processor.
• 2. Place meat into a big bowl.
• 3. Add onion, parsley, ginger, cinnamon, ground cloves, dry mustard, and pepper.
• 4. In a small bowl, put the bread and milk together.
• 5. Blend together well with a spoon or your hands.
• 6. Add the bread mixture to the meat mixture.
• 7. Mix well with a spoon or your hands.
• 8. Shape and roll mixture into meatballs.
• 9. Heat 2 tbs of vegetable oil in a large skillet or saucepan over low heat.
• 10. Add about 25 meatballs to a large skillet or saucepan and cook until meatballs are cooked throughout and no longer pink, flipping a few times to cook evenly, about 12 to 15 minutes, depending on thickness. Repeat until they are all cooked.
• 11. Remove fat from skillet. Add 2 cups of warm water. Cover and cook at low heat for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.
• 12. In a jar (Mason), add the warm cup of water and the browned flour. Close lid and shake or simply mix with a spoon until it's mixed.
• 13. Pour in the stew, stir regularly until the gravy has thicken (at least 15-30 minutes). If you find the gravy is not thick enough, add 4 more tablespoon of brown flour with 1/2 cup of warm water. Repeat as necessary.
• Enjoy!

BOULET

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the green bell pepper, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper and onion and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until the vegetables soften, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Mix in the adobo seasoning, all-purpose seasoning and the epis. Spread the mixture out on a sheet pan and put in the refrigerator to cool.
• In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, cooled bell pepper and onion mixture, breadcrumbs, flour, Parmesan, ketchup, mustard and black pepper. Use your hands or a wooden spoon to fold in all the ingredients thoroughly. Roll the mixture into the desired size balls.
• Heat the remaining 3 cups oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. Working in batches, fry the meatballs until browned and cooked through and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a meatball registers 145 degrees F. Place on a wire rack set over a baking sheet to drain. Serve the meatballs with fried plantains if using and garnish with scallion.
• Combine all the epis ingredients in a blender or food processor. Pulse until roughly chopped. Keep refrigerated and use for your seasoning needs.

FRESH BAKED BOULES

Steps:

• Dissolve salt, sugar, and yeast in the warm water and allow the yeast to proof. ("Proofing" the yeast is testing it for viability. It will develop a foam which looks like the head of a beer. If it doesn't proof, the yeast is dead and should be discarded.) Proofing takes about 15 minutes. Place flour in a food processor fitted with a dough blade, and through the feed tube with the food processor running, slowly pour the proofed yeast mixture, until the dough comes together and is a cohesive mass. Transfer the dough to a floured board, and knead for about 5 minutes. Place in a bowl, cover with a clean dish towel and allow dough to rise, so that it roughly doubles in volume. (This will take about 30 minutes to 1 hour). The dough has risen enough if you make an indentation with your finger and it does not spring back.) Punch the dough down and allow it to rise again. (Allowing the dough to rise a second time gives it a finer texture.) Note: It will not rise as much the second time.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Divide the dough in half, and transfer half to a floured board and keeping the balance covered with the towel. Shape the dough into a circle by pulling from the side and pushing the dough under and up from the bottom to form a dome, rotating to make it circular. Cover with a piece of oiled plastic wrap and let rest 10 minutes. Repeat for each section of dough. Grease a round cake pan for each loaf and transfer dough to the pans. (This shape will keep the dough from flattening out while it bakes.) Brush with melted butter and bake until the crust is golden brown and crispy. When done, the bread should sound hollow when tapped, approximately 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest 10 minutes in pan. Remove from pan and serve warm or room temperature with butter.

RAGOUT DE BOULETTES CANADIAN MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Brown finely chopped onion in bacon grease.
• Add to ground pork along with celery, allspice, cinnamon, and cloves.
• Shape into balls about 1-1/2 inches in diameter.
• Roll in seasoned flour (flour, salt, and pepper combined).
• Drop meatballs into boiling beef broth.
• Reduce temperature; simmer for 1 hour.
• Thicken remaining stock with browned flour; season to taste.
• NOTES FOR THE COOK:.
• You may make beef stock or use boullion cubes and water.
• Browned flour is something our Mothers and Grandmothers made. It is very simple to make by just stirring several tablespoons of flour back and forth in a dry medium hot skillet. This type of flour will not thicken as quickly as plain flour because the heat breaks down the starch cells. It takes 3 tablespoons of browned flour to do the work of 1-1/2 tablespoons of plain flour. 'Flour may be browned in a hot oven' is what recipe says; I don't know about that; I think it could burn pretty easy.

BOULETS LIEGEOIS (BELGIAN MEATBALLS)

Steps:

• Mix beef and pork together in a large bowl to thoroughly combine.
• Add the breadcrumbs, eggs, parsley, and onions. Mix thoroughly.
• Roll into meatballs, about 1/2 cup each, and dredge in flour.
• Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
• Add the meatballs and brown on all sides, about 8 to 10 minutes on each side.
• Remove meatballs to a plate. Melt 2 Tablespoons of butter to the skillet.
• Add the chopped onions and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until onions are caramelized.
• Add the brown sugar and thyme, stir and cook for 1 minute.
• Add the flour, stir to combine.
• Add apple butter and vinegar, stir.
• Pour in the beef stock, and add the bay leaves. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes.
• Add the meatballs back to the sauce and cook for 15 minutes to heat through.
• Serve immediately with pomme frites {French fries} and Belgian beer or wine.