Turkey Meatballs with Hoisin Honey Glaze
Meatball love is universal, in my opinion. This recipe takes inspiration from the flavors of my Grandma’s kitchen growing up— the Five Spice and Hoisin. These flavors glaze the meatballs, and of course no meal would ever be complete without bowls of steamed rice. I’ve bumped up the flavor on the rice with coconut milk and turmeric (which creates a lovely golden color— but be careful— the turmeric powder stains surfaces very easily!).
My preferred method for meatballs is to par boil them which results in a lighter, more tender ball (and you can freeze them at this point). It’s an extra step that I think is worth it— but if you’re in a time crunch go ahead and cook them in a pan or in the oven.
Serves 6
Makes approximately 30 meatballs
INGREDIENTS
1 ½ lbs ground turkey, cold from fridge
2 hot Italian sausages, casings removed
⅓ cup breadcrumbs
⅓ cup minced onion
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 large egg
1 tsp five spice
½ tsp coriander
¼ tsp kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
1 quart chicken stock
1 quart water
1 tbsp miso paste
2 tbsp grapeseed oil
Sauce
⅓ cup hoisin
⅓ cup honey
⅓ cup soy
3 tbsp sriracha
1 tbsp sesame oil
¼ tsp fresh ground black pepper
¼ cup water
METHOD
For sauce, in a small bowl, add hoisin, soy, sriracha, sesame oil and pepper and whisk to combine. Set aside.
For meatballs, combine onion, garlic, ginger, five spice, coriander, salt, pepper and egg in a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Add breadcrumbs, turkey and sausage and use hands to thoroughly combine.
In a medium pot, add broth, water and miso. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Using a standard 2 oz ice cream scoop, scoop meat and use hands to form into a ball. Drop into broth and cook approximately 8-10 minutes— meatballs should float to top (they will not be totally cooked on the inside). Work in batches, and transfer meatballs to a plate when done. At this point you can refrigerate them for up to 2 days or freeze up to a month.
In a large sauté pan over medium high heat, heat grapeseed oil and add meatballs. Sauté for 4-5 minutes, constantly moving pan so meatballs get brown on all sides. Lower heat to low and add ¾ of the sauce and water to pan and continue to sauté for 1-2 minutes until meatballs are thoroughly coated.
To serve, mound rice on a platter and arrange meatballs on top. Pour any additional pan sauce over, then garnish with scallions and sesame seeds. Serve with extra sauce.
Turmeric Coconut Rice
INGREDIENTS
2 cups jasmine rice
1 cup coconut milk, plus ¼ cup
2 cups water
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp ground turmeric
2 scallions, green and white parts, chopped, plus more for garnish
½ tsp sesame seeds, for garnish
Fleur de sel, for finishing
METHOD
Combine rice, coconut milk, sugar, water, salt and turmeric in a sauce pan and bring to boil. Cover, reduce to low and simmer for 35-40 mins or until liquid is absorbed. Set aside, covered, and let sit for 15 minutes. Before serving, add ¼ cup coconut milk, combine with a fork and finish with fleur de sel.