Lamb tends to have a strong flavour. Using simple ground lamb and a few spices coupled with the sweetnes of root vegetables makes a great meal.
In this dish, the strong lamb flavour is countered by the buttery sweetness of carrots and parsnips. It's both an easy and economical dish.
For the Lamb Meatballs:
- Ground Lamb
- Ground Corriander Seeds
- Ground Cumin
- Salt
- Paprika
- Mint
- Onion
- Oil for Frying
Dice the onions finely and place into a bowl with the ground lamb. Add some of each of the spices to taste and mix well. Let sit a few minutes for the salt to help bind the meat. Roll the mixture into about 1" diameter meatballs. Set aside while you prepare the root vegetables.
For the Root Vegetables:
- Carrots
- Parsnips
- Unsalted Butter
- Whole Cumin Seeds
- Parsley
- Salt & Pepper
Cut the carrots and parsnips in diagonals to create even sized pieces. In a wide pan, melt the butter and add the root vegetables. Stir well to coat with the butter. The vegetables should be in a signle layer and should sit in a small amount of butter and not be dry in the pan. Cover and cook on low heat tossing every 10 minutes or so until soft. Remove the lid, increase the heat sligtly, and add the cumin, a touch of parsley, salt, and pepper to taste. At this point, you're trying to lightly caramelize the sugars on the vegetables with slightly higher heat to make a glaze. Flip occasionally to get an even glaze.
While the vegetables are glazing, heat some oil in a fry pan nice and hot. Add the meatballs gently without crowding the pan. Brown the meatballs evenly on all sides.
Place the glazed vegetables on a plate and spoon the meatballs over them using a slotted spoon. Optionally, drizzle the remaining melted root vegetable butter over the dish.