Turkey Meatballs with Lemony Herb Dressing and Greek Yogurt
Big meatball energy happening here. In my quest for super round meatballs I actually boiled them in broth (matzo ball style) until they floated and then just before service I cranked up the stove and sautéed them to get some good browning. The result (besides nice round meatballs!) was a light (and almost fluffy?) tender meatball with great char on the outside. Enrobed in super easy dressing packed with tons of soft herbs atop a bed of Greek yogurt—just add a salad or some roasted veg and you’re good to go.
Note: These are a great make-ahead. Once boiled you can put them in the fridge until you’re ready for dinner or store in the freezer them for up to 2 months.
Serves 6
INGREDIENTS
2 lbs. ground turkey meat
2 Hot Italian Sausages
½ cup grated Romano cheese
½ cup breadcrumbs
⅓ cup minced onion
½ cup chopped basil and parsley
2 garlic cloves, grated or minced
½ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp ground fennel seed
2 large eggs
Dressing
1 cup store bought or homemade pesto
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp honey
½ cup chopped basil, dill, parsley and chives, with extra for garnish
1-2 tbsp water
3 cups Greek yogurt
Fleur de sel, for finishing
METHOD
In a large bowl, combine cheese, breadcrumbs, onion, garlic, basil, parsley, garlic, salt, pepper, fennel seed and eggs. Remove sausage from casing and add, along with turkey. Using your hands, mix until thoroughly combined.
In a large pan with high sides, fill with water or stock almost to top. If using water, add bouillon. Bring to a low boil. Using a 2 oz standard ice cream scoop, scoop mixture and use hands to form into round balls. Drop into broth and remove when balls float to top, approximately 1 minute. Continue until all meatballs are finished. Cover tightly and refrigerate until ready to use.
When ready to serve, in a large non-stick or well-seasoned cast iron pan, heat olive oil and 1 tbsp butter over high heat and add meatballs, shaking pan frequently so all sides get brown, approximately 6-8 minutes.
For dressing, combine pesto, Dijon, lemon juice, honey, herbs, and water.
To serve, swirl yogurt on a shallow serving platter, top with meatballs and drizzle with dressing. Finish with herbs and fleur de sel and serve.
PS: Dressing can be made a day in advance. Meatballs can be boiled up to a day in advance and then sautéed just before serving. Also—meatballs can be frozen for up to a month after boiling. When ready, defrost and sauté.
