Tomato sauce

Ingredients

3 tbsp olive oil

2 banana shallots, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, grated or crushed

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

130 ml dry white wine

2 x 400 g tins of plum tomatoes

1 tbsp rose harissa (1 ½ tbsp for a spicier version)

2 tsp caster sugar

1 bay leaf

400 ml water

Sea salt

Fresh ground black pepper

Method

Place the saucepan on a medium−high heat then add the olive oil (I use a fantastic tri ply saucepan from Samuel Groves https://www.samuelgroves.com/Products/cookware). Add the shallots, garlic and spices, lower the heat, and cook gently (without browning) for about 10 mins until the shallots are soft.

Pour in the wine and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Add the tomatoes, rose harissa, sugar, bay leaf, water (fill up one of the tomato cans, and swirl around to capture any leftover tomatoes). Season, stir, bring to the boil, then gently simmer for 25 minutes until the tomatoes have broken down and the sauce has thickened. Check seasoning and adjust to taste.

Feta-stuffed kofta

500 g lamb mince

1 medium onion, very finely chopped (or grated)

15 g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1/2 tsp allspice

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp dried mint

1 medium free-range egg, beaten

Vegetable oil

50 g feta cheese, broken up into 1 cm squares

Bunch of fresh herbs (any mix of coriander, mint and parsley)

Sour cream

Method

Place the lamb, onion, parsley, garlic, spices, and egg, along with 1 tsp sea salt and ¾ tsp fresh ground black pepper, in a bowl and mix together with your hands. Test for seasoning by frying a nugget of the mixture in a little olive oil, taste, and adjust seasoning as necessary. Roll into balls, about 50 g each. Push a hole into each kofta, and place a small cube of feta in the middle, then add a little extra kofta to enclose it.

Add a splash of oil to the saucepan, then add a few meatballs. Cook over a moderate heat, turning occasionally, until caramelised on the outside. Remove from the pan while you cook the rest of the meatballs. The @samuelgrovesgb saucepan retained the heat beautifully, allowing me to cook all of the meatballs in one go.

Clean out the pan, then add the tomato sauce, warm until simmering, then gently add the meatballs. Cover with a lid and simmer very gently for 30 minutes.

Sprinkle with the chopped herbs and serve with sour cream.

 

Serving suggestion

Serve with crusty sourdough or pasta, and a fresh green salad.