Spanish Meatballs (Albondigas) in Garlic Tomato Sauce

Bring a bit of holiday sunshine to your table with these easy and delicious meatballs. These will feed a small crowd so perfect to share with friends – make sure you offer lots of crusty bread to mop up the rich tomato sauce. If you like, you can serve these as a main course with potatoes, rice or pasta.

Step 1

Roughly chop the shallots and chorizo and place in a food processor together with the breadcrumbs, parsley and paprika. Process until everything is finely ground.

Step 2

Put the two types of mince in a large bowl and add the whizzed up ingredients and the egg. Use your hands to mix everything together really well.

Step 3

Form into small, equal sized meatballs – you will get about 40.

Step 4

Heat a little olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan and fry the meatballs, in batches, until the are well browned on all sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Step 5

Wipe the frying pan you used for the meatballs. Heat a little olive oil and sweat the garlic and bay leaves over low heat for 3-4 minutes.

Step 6

Add the sugar, paprika, wine and cinnamon stick and stir together. Increase the heat and cook for 3-4 minutes until the liquid is reduced.

Step 7

Tip in the tomatoes and water and bring the sauce to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Step 8

Add the meatballs and stir to coat them in the sauce. Continue to simmer for 20 minutes until the sauce is thickened and the meatballs are cooked through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Step 9

Serve with lots of crusty bread to dip into the sauce and red wine.

Shop hobs