Keftedakia, Greek Meat Balls

Serves: 6 servings
Time: 30 min.
Difficulty: medium

Nutritional value
KJ KCAL Proteins (g) Fat (g) Carbohydrates (g)
1 portion/100g 1787,1 426,5 22,6 31,3 14
Preparation

To prepare the recipe, add all the ingredients into a large bowl and mix well (for about 5-10 minutes), squeezing with your hands, to allow the flavours to blend. (If the mixture isn’t firm enough, add some more breadcrumbs). Cover the bowl with some plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for 1 hour. Turn the mixture for the Keftedakia out of the fridge and roll into meatballs the size of a walnut (or bigger if you prefer). Dredge the rolled meatballs lightly in flour making sure to shake off any excess. Fry until nicely browned on all sides. The traditional way of cooking Keftedakia is frying them. Fry them in batches of 10-15 at a time, until nicely browned on all sides. Instead of frying you can bake / grill the Keftedakia in the oven. Preheat the oven at 200C, place the Keftedakia on greased baking sheet about an inch apart. Bake for about 20 minutes, turning the meatballs upside down midway through cooking time. The grilled version is much lighter than the fried. Keftedakia (Greek meatballs) are ideally served as an appetizer (meze) with some creamy tzatziki sauce and pita breads or as a main course with some basmati rice and a Greek salad.

Ingredients
_ 500g ground chuck beef
_ 200g ground belly pork or lamb
_ 1 large red onion, grated (60g)
_ 1 cup breadcrumbs (80g)
_ 1 egg
_ 1/4 of a cup chopped fresh parsley (10g)
_ 6-7 leaves fresh spearmint (chopped) and a pinch dried (optional)
_ 2 tbsps olive oil (40ml)
_ 1/2 teaspoon oregano (3g)
_ 15g salt
_ 2g pepper
_ Olive oil for frying
_ Corn flour for dredging
_
Before proceeding in preparation of the dishes, please consult with EFSA on advice and regulation.