Crispy Lamb Meatballs With Chickpeas And Eggplant Recipes

CRISPY LAMB MEATBALLS WITH CHICKPEAS AND EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Combine lamb, fennel seeds, garlic and 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes in a medium bowl. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, and black pepper to taste, and mix until everything is well combined and the spices are evenly distributed.
• Using your hands, roll lamb mixture into balls about 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter, placing them on a parchment-lined baking sheet or plate. You should have about 12 meatballs.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add meatballs - work in batches if your skillet can't comfortably fit them all without crowding - and cook, gently rotating them occasionally so they more or less brown on all sides while keeping a vaguely round shape, 8 to 10 minutes. (Do not stress about this part; they will be delicious no matter what shape they are.) After they are evenly browned and cooked through, transfer them to a plate, leaving the fat and any browned bits behind.
• Add 4 tablespoons oil to the skillet and, working in batches, if needed, add eggplant slices in an even layer, seasoning with salt and pepper. Cook the slices, flipping them once, until they are browned on both sides, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add more oil as needed. After eggplant slices are cooked and browned, transfer them to the plate with the meatballs.
• Add remaining 3 tablespoons oil to the skillet, along with chickpeas. Season with salt and pepper, and cook, shaking the skillet and stirring occasionally, until chickpeas are nicely browned, 3 to 5 minutes. (They won't exactly crisp; you're just looking to take the edge off and get them nicely seasoned.)
• Season yogurt with salt and pepper and smear onto the bottom of a large plate or serving platter. Top with meatballs, eggplant and chickpeas. Scatter with greens and cilantro, and then squeeze lemon halves over everything before serving.

CRISPY LAMB MEATBALLS WITH CHICKPEAS AND EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Combine lamb, fennel, garlic, and red pepper flakes in a bowl. Season with 1.5 tsp of salt, and black pepper to taste, mix until everything is well combined and the spices are evenly distributed
• Roll lamb mixture about 1.5 inches in diameter and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet
• Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add meatballs and work in batches so the meatballs don't get crowded. Cook gently and rotate them occasionally so they are more or less brown on the sides. After they are evenly browned and cooked through, transfer them to a plate leaving the fat and any brown bits behind.
• Add 4 tbsps of oil to the skillet and add eggplant slices in an even layer. Season with salt and pepper. Cook the slices, flipping them until they are browned on both sides. Add more oil as needed. After eggplant is cooked, transfer them onto a plate with the meatballs, and put them into the oven at 200 degrees to keep warm.
• Add remaining 3 tbsp of oil to the skillet, along with the chickpeas. Season the chickpeas with paprika, a sprinkle of red chili flakes, salt, pepper, and coriander. Shake skillet and stir occasionally until chickpeas are browned.
• Season yogurt with salt and pepper. Add chopped up mint leaves (if available). Smear onto a bottom of a large plate or serving platter. Top with meatballs, eggplant, and chickpeas, arugula, and cilantro. Squeeze the lemon over everything before serving!