Boulettes Food

NORTH AFRICAN MEATBALLS (BOULETTES)

Steps:

• Make the sauce: Heat oil over medium-high heat in a wide, heavy bottomed saucepan. Add onion and cook without browning until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, tomato paste, cinnamon and saffron, and stir well to incorporate. Season generously with salt and pepper, and allow to sizzle for 1 minute more. Add broth and simmer gently for 5 minutes. May be made several hours in advance, up to a day.
• Make the meatballs: Put bread cubes and milk in a small bowl. Leave bread to soak until softened, about 5 minutes, then squeeze dry.
• In a mixing bowl, put squeezed-out bread, ground meat and egg. Add salt, pepper, garlic, nutmeg, ginger, turmeric, paprika, cayenne, cloves, coriander and cumin. Mix well with hands to distribute seasoning. Add 2 tablespoons each of parsley, cilantro and scallion, and knead for a minute. May be prepared several hours in advance, up to a day.
• With hands, roll mixture into small round balls about the size of a quarter. Dust balls lightly with flour. Heat a few tablespoons of oil, or a quarter-inch depth, over medium-high heat and fry meatballs until barely browned, about 2 minutes per side. Drain and blot on paper towel. Simmer meatballs in saffron-tomato sauce, covered, over medium heat for about 20 minutes, until tender. Meanwhile, make the couscous, if desired: Cook according to package directions, fluff gently and stir in butter and raisins. Season with salt and cinnamon, and toss well.
• Garnish meatballs with remaining parsley, cilantro and scallion. Serve with couscous and roasted tomatoes if desired.

PORK BOULETTES

Steps:

• In a saute pan, brown the pork for about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the pan and drain on a paper-lined plate. In a large saute pan, melt the butter. Add 3 tablespoons of flour, stirring constantly for a brown roux. Add the onions, peppers and garlic and continue to saute for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the vegetables wilt. Add the pork and saute for 3 minutes. Stir in the water. Season the mixture with salt and pepper. Bring the liquid up to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook the mixture for 45 minutes. Stir in the rice and green onions, hot pepper sauce, and 1/2 cup of the bread crumbs. Remove from the heat and cool for 20 minutes. Season the flour and remaining bread crumbs with Essence, separately. In a small mixing bowl, whisk the egg and milk together. Season the mixture with Essence. Shape the pork/rice mixture into balls the size of walnuts. Dredge the balls in the flour. Dip each ball in the egg wash, letting any excess drip off. Dredge the balls in the bread crumbs. Fry the roulettes a couple at a time until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the boulettes from the fryer and drain on a paper-lined plate. Season with Essence. Spoon the Aioli in the center of the plate and around the rim. Mound the boulettes in the center of the sauce. Garnish with
• Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.
• Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch. Published by William and Morrow, 1993.

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.

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.

RAGOUT DE BOULETTES

Steps:

• Cube the bread very finely and soak in milk for 5 minutes.
• In a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoons of the butter and cook the onion until tender.
• Transfer to a large bowl.
• Add the pork, bread mixture, parsley and spices.
• Mix thoroughly and form into 2-inch meatballs.
• In the skillet, melt the remaining butter over medium heat.
• Brown the meatballs, one layer at a time, on all sides.
• Place in a large roaster and set aside.
• Pour off the fat.
• Pour 1 cup of the stock into the skillet.
• Heat, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
• Pour over the meatballs, then pour in the remaining stock.
• Bake, partially covered, for 1-1/4 hours at 350 degrees F.
• Taste and adjust the seasoning.
• In a clean skillet, cook the flour over medium heat, stirring frequently, until golden.
• Blend the flour with the cold water until smooth.
• Place the roaster over medium heat and bring to a boil.
• Gradually pour in the flour mixture and stir constantly and cook until thickened.
• Let simmer for 10 minutes.
• Sprinkle generously with parsley.

BOULETTES FRANCAISE (MEATBALLS IN WHITE SAUCE)

Steps:

• Mix meat and seasonings.
• Shape into 1 inch meatballs.
• Put enough water in saucepan to cover meatballs.
• Bring to a boil.
• Add whole onion and garlic cloves.
• Add 1 meatball at a time so water does not stop boiling.
• Cook until meat is white - about 30 minutes. Remove onion. Thicken water with flour and add more salt and pepper as needed. Serve over rice or noodles or by itself. Enjoy.