Thai Chicken Meatball Curry Food

THAI CURRY CHICKEN MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Make the meatballs: In bowl, mix ground chicken, garlic, ginger, green onion, salt and pepper until evenly combined. Form into balls about 1-1/2 inches in diameter. Oil your hands as you roll to keep chicken from sticking to your hands.
• In a large oven-proof skillet, add oil on medium high heat. Place meatballs in skillet and brown each side, turning often about 2-3 minutes per side until a crust forms. Remove meatballs from pan and set aside.
• Make the curry sauce: In the same skillet over medium heat add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the bay leaf (or lime leaf), curry powder, cayenne pepper. Add the coconut milk, chicken broth, fish sauce, and lime zest. Then stir until combined. Bring liquid to a low simmer.
• Place meatballs back into the skillet and simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes, or until the meatballs are fully cooked (timing will depend on meatball size and how much you seared the meatballs).
• If desired, squeeze in some lime juice and top with minced cilantro. Serve over rice, with slices of crusty bread, with flatbreads, or however you prefer to enjoy your curry.

THAI CHICKEN MEATBALL CURRY (SLOW COOKER)

Steps:

• Mix chicken or turkey, breadcrumbs, half of the cilantro, lemongrass and chile peppers in a large bowl, combining thoroughly.
• If not frying, drop walnut-sized meatballs into a 4 qt slow cooker (I coat with a little oil to make cleanup easier). Cover and cook on High for about 1 hour to set the meatballs. (For all I know you don't need to do this - it might work just as well with the sauce added immediately - but this is how I did it).
• Combine the remaining ingredients except the cilantro in a small bowl; pour over the meatballs, reduce to Low and cook for 4 hours, or cook on High for 2 hours.
• If frying, form the meat into walnut-sized meatballs. Heat oil in a large skillet and quickly fry the meatballs until browned. Transfer to slow cooker.
• Make the sauce as in Step 3 and pour into the frying pan, stirring to scrape up the fond; pour over the meatballs and cook on Low for 6 hours or on High for 3 hours.
• Serve immediately with steamed rice, garnished with the remaining cilantro.

THAI-INSPIRED CHICKEN MEATBALL SOUP

Steps:

• Using the small holes of a box grater, or a Microplane, grate the ginger, garlic and jalapeño (or finely chop them by hand). Transfer half to a large bowl and set the rest aside. To the large bowl, add the chicken, finely chopped cilantro, 2 tablespoons fish sauce and 1 teaspoon salt. Use your hands or a fork to fully combine but do not overmix.
• Use your hands or an ice cream scoop to form 2-inch meatballs (about 2 ounces each). In a large Dutch oven or pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add the meatballs in a single layer and cook, flipping halfway through, until golden brown on two sides, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate and repeat, adding oil as needed.
• Once all the meatballs are browned and out of the pot, if the oil is burned, wipe it out and add a bit more to the pot. Reduce the heat to medium, add the reserved ginger mixture and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the chicken broth, coconut milk, sugar and the remaining 1 tablespoon fish sauce, and bring to a simmer. Add the meatballs and any juices from the plate, and simmer until the flavors come together and the meatballs are cooked through, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Remove from heat, and stir in the spinach and lime juice. Divide rice among bowls, then top with meatballs, broth and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.