Lamb Meatball

Hairy Bikers Lamb Tagine with (quail) egg

For the meatballs
500g minced lamb
1 onion, very finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp chilli powder
1 tsp paprika
small handful coriander leaves, finely chopped
1 egg yolk (to bind)
salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the tagine
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp tomato purée
1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes, drained
2 tsp clear honey
200g frozen peas
4 eggs or quail eggs
handful parsley, chopped, for garnish (I used coriander again)

Method
1. For the meatballs, place the beef, onion, garlic, spices, fresh herbs and egg yolk into a large bowl. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and mix well. Knead with your hands to form a smooth paste. Roll into walnut-sized balls and set aside.
2. For the stew, in the tagine heat the olive oil, add the onion and sweat until translucent.
3. Add the meatballs and cook until lightly browned on all sides. Combine the tomato purée with the canned tomatoes and add this to the tagine along with the honey. Cover and simmer for ten minutes.
4. Add the peas to the tagine or casserole and stir. Carefully break the eggs onto the top of the stew. Cover the tagine and simmer until the eggs are cooked to your liking, approximately ten minutes. (for quail eggs it should probably be no more than 2 minutes)
5. Garnish with chopped parsley or coriander. Serve with tagliatelle.

From : The Hairy Bikers