We never met a meatball we didn’t like, We l-o-v-e meatballs. The global meatball repertoire is huge; think polpette (Italy), kofte (Turkey), keftedes (Greece), albondigas (Spain), bakso (Indonesia), bun cha (Vietnam), frikadeller (Germany, Scandinavia and Poland), bitterballen (Netherlands) and the like. But not Ffagadau, also called faggots. And yes, there was two effs in there. They’re Welsh and contain pig's liver which really isn’t for us, even though we quite enjoy properly cooked lamb, chicken or veal liver. Liver in meatballs can bleeding double f off. Yep, there’s rich meatball inspo Out There…  and we’re even convinced there’s even a cookbook in the subject, if anyone could be bothered. Maybe we could.

Here’s our latest foray into meaty ball territory and we hope you give the dish a whirl. Cider, apples, parmesan, pork and fennel all make so much sense together it seemed obvious to make a lovely oven bake using them all, with the meatballs front and centre. Sweet, rich, a bit cheesy and very porky, they’re delicious.

SERVES 4

3 tbsp olive oil

3 onions, peeled and finely sliced

½ a large fennel bulb, finely sliced

330ml bottle of cider

125ml (½ cup) chicken stock

2 tbsp cider vinegar

4 tsp caster sugar

2 fresh bay leaves

3 pink lady apples, cored and cut into wedges

Meatballs

500g pork mince

90g (1½ cups, loosely packed) fresh breadcrumbs

50g (½ cup) finely grated parmesan

45g (¼ cup) sultanas, chopped

4 anchovies, chopped

Small handful parsley leaves, chopped

½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg

2 eggs, lightly beaten 

flour for dusting

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

For the meatballs, combine all the ingredients except the flour and olive oil in a bowl. Season well with salt and pepper, then use clean hands to combine well. Take slightly heaped tablespoons of the mixture, then roll into balls. Dust lightly in flour, dusting off excess.

Preheat the oven to 180˚C. Line a large plate with several layers of paper towels.

Heat the extra virgin live oil in a large, deep frypan with an oven proof handle over medium heat. Cook the meatballs, turning occasionally, for 5 minutes or until browned; the meatballs will not be cooked through. Transfer the browned meatballs to the paper-lined plate to drain. Wipe the pan clean. 

Heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil in the pan over medium heat, then cook the onion, stirring often, for 6-7 minutes until softened. Add the fennel, stir to combine, then cook, stirring, for 5-6 minutes until softened. Add the cider, bring to the boil, then add the stock, half the vinegar, 2 tsp of the sugar and bay leaves. Simmer for 5 minutes or until reduced slightly, then carefully add the meatballs to the pan. Transfer to the oven. Combine the apple, remaining olive oil, vinegar and sugar in a small roasting dish, tossing the apple to coat. Roast the apples and cook the meatballs for 30 minutes, or until the apples are tender, the meatball sauce is bubbling, and the meatballs are golden. Serve immediately.