Tapas: Albondigas

Tapas are the little dishes traditionally served in Spain with a glass of Sherry, and have become a whole cuisine unto themselves. They originated as a tiny morsel served on a saucer on top (tapa) of a glass of Sherry. Most bars offer a large range of them, and there is an element of competition between bars. Enough tapas can constitute a meal, and the best wine is, of course, Sherry! I thought I would post an occasional tapa recipe to accompany all the Sherry in the Blog, so here's number one:

Albondigas are Spanish meatballs, often served as a tapa in sauce. Here is my recipe:

Ingredients:

For the meatballs: 250 grams Pork mince, 100 grams cooking (or almost any) Chorizo, finely chopped

For the sauce: 3 or 4 slices red and green pepper; 2 teeth of garlic; half a small onion, all finely chopped; half a tin of peeled chopped tomatoes; teaspoon pimenton (paprika), oregano and thyme for sprinkling, olive oil for cooking; optional chili sauce.

Put a couple of tablespoons of olive oil into a saucepan. Fry the onion, peppers and garlic, and when done add the tomato and pimenton. Cook a little till well integrated, and leave aside.

Mix chorizo and mince well together and make little balls about 3cm in diameter. Put a couple of tablespoons of olive oil into a frying pan and fry the meatballs till cooked through, keeping them on the move. Once cooked, add the meatballs to the sauce and heat through, adding chili if required and sprinkling the oregano and thyme onto the mix. Serve in a terracotta cazuela (shallow dish) with some chunky bread and a glass of dry Amontillado.

Albondigas en Salsa