I’m flexing my mince muscles in anticipation of May, which I’m dubbing My Month of Mean. Or of Mince. Or of Misery. Or something. With the cost of everything going bananas and cash reserves shrinking (thanks, Reserve Bank!), I’m pulling my horns in. No more soothing retail, bye bye Binge account and see ya later exxie wine habit… it’s all coming to a halt. Needs must, and all of that. 

With plenty of Scots blood flinging through my veins, I actually enjoy being thrifty and I’ve got the weekly grocery spend firmly in my sights. While there are some things I can’t / won’t give up (you can rip the grana padano and EVOO out of my cold, dead hands, thanks), I’m singing auld lang syne to extras, treats and luxuries. I’m paying way more attention to food waste (Kiwis chuck an estimated $3.1NZD BILLION bucks-worth of food a year according to research, while Aussies each turf a shameful average of 4kg food every week), plus keeping an eagle eye on supermarket specials and loss-leaders at my greengrocer. Who do a .99 cents a kg sweet potato deal over winter and I’m seeing a tonne of beta carotene in my near future.

But look, I’m hardly starving. Yes we feel the pinch, but not like some who are really doing it tough. I note the worry on the faces of mums and dads at my local shopping centre when they see their check-out totals. I’m sick of reading stories of people not coping with horrific rent hikes, or of oldies resorting to sleeping in their cars. There’s not much I can personally do about the current economic climate, but I can come up with ideas for dishes that work harder for your wallet. So for all of May – and maybe beyond, who knows? – recipes will skew economical. And don’t worry, they won’t be exclusively mince-y or ‘brown’. Although this dish is pretty mincy AND a bit brown… which is why I added the figs for some cheery colour. But leave them off if they’re dear where you live and see? It’s not even May and I’m already trying.

SERVES 4

80ml (¼ cup) olive oil

2 onions, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

2 tbsp tomato paste

1½ tsp ground allspice or baharat

55g (⅓  cup) currants

265g (1½ cups) coarse burghul

60g (½ cup) walnut halves, lightly toasted and coarsely chopped

560ml (2¼ cups) chicken stock or water

chopped dill, to taste

2-3 figs, cut into wedges (optional)

Meatballs

500g lamb mince

60g (1 cup) fresh bread crumbs

½ tsp ground allspice or baharat

1 egg, beaten

110g (¾ cup) crumbled Greek-style feta cheese

plain flour, for dusting

2½ tbsp olive oil, approximately, for cooking

For the meatballs, combine the mince, crumbs, allspice and egg in a bowl and season well with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Using clean hands, mix everything together until well combined. Add the feta and work it as evenly through the mince as you can. Working with about 2 tsp of the mixture at a time, roll it into small-ish meatballs (I made 36 but make yours larger if that’s easier. They will take longer to cook though). Place on a tray, cover, then refrigerate until you’re ready to cook. 

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan or casserole over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic and a pinch of salt, then cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-6 minutes or until softened. Add the tomato paste and allspice, then stir for 1 minute or so to cook out the tomato paste. Add the burghul, currants and walnuts, stir to coat, then add the chicken stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, then cook, covered, for 12-15 minutes or until nearly tender and the water has been absorbed. Remove from the heat and stand, covered, for 10 minutes to finish cooking. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. 

Meanwhile, sprinkle the meatballs on the tray lightly with plain flour, then shake the tray to roll the meatballs and lightly coat them. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-based frying pan over medium heat, add the meatballs, then cook, turning occasionally, for about 10 minutes or until golden and cooked through. (Alternatively, you can cook them in a single layer in a large roasting dish in a 180C oven for 10-15 minutes).

Spoon the pilaf into a serving dish or bowl. Pile over the meatballs and scatter with some chopped dill. Scatter over some fig wedges, if using, then serve. 

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