Yield: 6

Meatball Ingredients

1.5 pounds ground turkey/chicken
1 tablespoon olive or peanut oil
1/3 cup chopped shallots
2 cloves garlic chopped
1 stalk of lemongrass white part only chopped fine ( 2-3 tablespoons)
1.5 tablespoons grated ginger
1 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons Sambal Oelek, or chili paste
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 tsp salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Coconut Sauce:

2 tablespoons olive or peanut oil
2 stalks of lemongrass, trimmed
3 cardamom pods lightly cracked
3” cinnamon stick
1 tsp turmeric
1.5 inch piece of ginger root, peeled and cut into 3 pieces
1.5 tsp coriander seeds
2 points of a star anise pod
1 can of coconut milk with full cream
1 cup chicken stock
TT salt and pepper
juice from 1/2 of a lime

Directions

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and lemongrass and cook for one minute longer. Take the pan off of the heat and set aside so that the shallot mixture can cool down a little.
3. Transfer the ground turkey to a bowl and create a well in the center of the ground turkey. Add the ginger, soy sauce, fish sauce, chili paste, bread crumbs, cilantro and salt and pepper along with the reserved shallot mixture to the well. Mix with your hands or a spoon until just combined. Dampen your hands and shape the mixture into meatballs. This will make 18 to 20 2” meatballs.
4. Preheat oven to 350F. Place the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet and refrigerate for about an hour. This step will give the flavors time to meld and help the meatballs stay together while you cook them. Then bake the meatballs for 20+ minutes or until the center reaches 74C in the center.
5. Heat the oil in a deep sided pan. Bruise the lemongrass with a mortar and pestle and add to the skillet. Give the cardamom pods a light tap with the pestle and if you don’t have one you can use the back of a knife. Add the cinnamon stick, turmeric, ginger pieces, coriander seeds, star anise points, coconut milk and bring to a simmer.
6. Slowly add the chicken stock and simmer the meatballs over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes. Add the fresh-squeezed lime juice and salt and pepper to taste.

7. Garnish with lime zest and cilantro. You can enjoy as an appetizer, or turn it into a meal and serve over rice or rice noodles.

   

Serve with

• cilantro lime slaw
• Rice noodles

Inspired by

• Feasting at home