Tuna Meatballs
Makes 14-16 balls
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 jar of Little Tuna Tuna in Olive Oil, drained (oil reserved)
- 2 eggs
- ¾ of a cup of breadcrumbs (+ extra for adjusting)
- ¼ of a cup of roughly torn loosely packed parsley leaves
- ¼ of a cup of roughly torn loosely packed basil leaves
- Zest of ½ a lemon
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Olive oil (for frying)
Sauce
- 2 onions, diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, diced
- 2 cans (800g) of canned chopped tomatoes
- 2 tbsp of finely chopped capers
- 2 tbsp of finely chopped green olives
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp of olive oil
Method
1. To make the meatballs, add all of the ingredients except for the olive oil to a food processor and mix until just combined. With a wet hand, squeeze a little of the mixture together – if it stays together it’s ready, if it’s too wet/loose, add a tablespoon of breadcrumbs and mix again. Repeat until the balls can be rolled and stay together (it will depend on the size of your eggs and how much oil is left in your tuna).
2. Roll the mix into tablespoon-size balls using wet hands (to stop them sticking). You can make them any size as long as they’re consistent
3. Fry the balls in olive oil in a medium-high pan until golden and firm.
4. To make the sauce, add the olive oil to a deep fry pan and cook the onions on a medium heat until softened.
5. Add the garlic, capers and olives and fry until fragrant.
6. Add the chopped tomatoes, lemon juice and a cup of water. Bring to the boil then simmer for 15 minutes, or until reduced by 1/3.
7. Add the fried meatballs and simmer for a further 5-10 minutes, or until warmed through and the sauce has slightly thickened.
8. Serve immediately with pasta, rice or polenta.
The meatballs can also be served without the sauce dipped in garlic aioli or in a salad with a lemony dressing.
