tapas week: make-ahead or make-after

So here's why even tapas cannot save me from my overdoing self: because the nice thing about tapas is that you make a little bit of everything, and not every dish has to be enough to feed everyone. Except that I still make enough to feed everyone. Or more than that.

Oops.

And so, when making food for parties, it helps to think of smart ways to handle leftovers. And if you foolishly decide to make two pounds of ground lamb into meatballs for people who have already eaten nuts and cheese and ham and endives and chickpeas and dates and chorizo, you should know how to form and freeze a whole bunch of them for later consumption.

The lamb meatball recipe was kind of an accident. I thought I remembered it, when actually what my mind had done was to mash this Nigella recipe for lamb meatballs together with this Jamie Oliver recipe for lamb kofte. And so now, by accident, I have an awesome lamb meatball recipe that's neither one nor the other.

• 2 pounds ground lamb
• 1 cup chopped scallions (including dark green parts)
• 1 cup chopped pistachios
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp semolina (pretty optional, I think)
• 1 tbsp sumac
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tsp allspice

Nigella says to make them "toytown small", which is so Nigella, and I definitely made them on the small side, smaller than the first joint of my thumb. But it's up to you. Making them this small makes them easier to use from the freezer, because a couple minutes in the microwave on defrost gets the chill off them, and then you can just spill them into a hot pan and in three minutes all the work is done. Make sure not to overcook, or they'll get dry. Brown on one side, brown on another, shake around, and dump onto a paper towel to drain. Huzzah.

Here's the pre-work or post-work part. When making oodles of tiny meatballs, here are your steps.

 

Press the meat out to the right thickness on a plastic-wrap covered cutting board:

Score along lines to portion:

Pull off each little knob, roll between your hands, and drop onto a plastic-wrap covered cookie sheet:

Cover with more plastic wrap and quick-freeze on the same sheet (how is my freezer exactly the right size for this? happiest coincidence EVER):

(and yes, the other half of the freezer is full of exactly what you think it's full of. which is why I am not the size of a house. and also clear evidence I am unable to resist the sales at Morton Williams.)

Last thing: tasty, tiny meatballs, for serving to company or just your hungry some-old-evening self.

Comments

[ask a doctor]

My mouth is waters just by looking at it..