Spicy meatballs recipe

A favourite meal of mine as a child and as an adult. A recipe I've learnt to make from my mother. Enjoy!

• Preparation time: 20 minutes
• Cooking time: 20 minutes.
  

Ingredients:

• 500g/1lb 2oz lean beef mince.
• 1 small chopped onion
• 50g fresh breadcrumbs
• 1tbsp parsley chopped. (Dried mixed herbs can work well too)
• 1tsp paprika (If you'd rather no spice-leave it out)
• 10ml/2tsp Worcestershire sauce
• A small amount of flour for rolling.
• Sunflower oil (for frying)

Method:

1. Place the mince, onion, breadcrumbs, herbs, paprika (if using) and Worcestershire sauce in a large bowl and mix well.
2. Roll into balls with your hands and then roll in a little flour. Chill the balls for 20 minutes and cook just before serving. (Use the extra time to cook the sauce or an accompaniment).
3. Heat the oil and fry the meatballs until they are golden on both sides and are cooked all the way through.
4. Rest the cooked meatballs on kitchen paper so this can soak in any oil from the meatballs. Serve. For a tomato sauce. See below.

Serving suggestions:

• Serve on a bed of spaghetti or other pasta covered in a tomato sauce.
• If served on pasta, sprinkle some cheese on top for more of an Italian feel.
• If you are serving to children, serve them on skewers with chips or whatever is their favourite!
• When serving cover them with a beef gravy. Serve them with mashed potatoes and vegetables.
  

OPTIONAL: Tomato Sauce: You may not like to serve meatballs this way but if you do you will need:

• 15mls sunflower oil
• 1 garlic clove-crushed
• 1 chopped onion
• 15ml/1tbsp tomato puree
• 1 x 400g tin of tomatoes (chopped or plum, chopped is easier, plum just means you need to chop them yourself!)
• OPTIONAL: 1/2 glass of red wine
• Spaghetti-cooked to serve

Method:

1. Heat the oil, add garlic and onions and saute until soft.
2. Add puree, tomatoes and if you are using, the wine.
3. Season and liquidise, or work through a sieve until the mixture is smooth.
4. Serve meatballs on top of spaghetti and cover meatballs generously with the sauce.