What better way to entertain the rowdy World Cup fans that will be crowding your living room for this Sunday’s big game, than to give them a themed and scrumptious appetizer such as Albondigas, more simply known as Spanish meatballs!! This recipe is a Parties that Cook favorite and is sure to score a winning goal!

Ingredients

Meatballs (Albondigos):
2/3 cup dried breadcrumbs soaked in 2/3 cup chicken broth
2 pounds ground beef or a mixture of veal, beef and pork
2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
4 Tablespoons (2 ounces) minced Serrano or prosciutto
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Flour for dusting meatballs

Sauce:
2 Tablespoons olive oil +1 Tablespoon oil
1 yellow onion, minced
2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 chipotle in adobo, seeds removed, diced finely
1/4 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 bunch parsley leaves
2 cloves garlic
12 saffron threads
1/4 cup blanched almonds
1/4 teaspoon pimenton (smoked paprika)
Parsley for garnish and toothpicks for serving
Loaf of bread for soaking up all the sauce

Methods/Steps

Form Meatballs: To make meatballs, combine the soaked breadcrumbs, ground meats, parsley, garlic, lemon juice, Serrano, eggs, salt and pepper in a medium sized bowl and mix with your hands until combined. Shape into 1-inch meatballs. Dust lightly with flour.

Brown Meatballs: Heat 2 Tablespoons of olive oil in a large sauté pan. Brown the meatballs over medium-high heat, in batches, until golden brown on all sides.

Sauce: Meanwhile in a separate pan, heat 1 Tablespoon oil and add onion; sauté for 3 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes and chipotle and cook for an additional minute. Add wine, broth, salt and pepper.

Put the parsley, garlic, salt, saffron, almonds and pimenton in the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse until well chopped. Add mixture to sauce then add the sauce to the meatball pan.  Cover and cook meatballs for 7 more minutes.

Serve: Transfer meatballs to a warm serving platter.  Pour warm sauce over meatballs. Garnish with parsley leaves, and serve with toothpicks.

Recipe adapted by Parties That Cook www.PartiesThatCook.com from Delicioso! By Penelope Casas.
Serves/Makes

Makes 24 meatballs