Herbed Chicken Meatballs with Lemon Risotto

Serves

4, generously

Ingredients

• 800 grams of free-range, organic chicken, minced
• 1/2 cup of sourdough or panko breadcrumbs
• 1/2 a brown onion, finely diced
• 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
• 1/4 cup of flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 1/4 cup of basil, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1 free-range, organic egg
• 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
• salt and pepper, to season
  for the lemon risotto
• 3 tablespoons of salted butter
• 1/2 a brown onion, finely chopped
• 2 cups of arborio rice
• 1 cup of finely grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup of dry white wine
• 1L of The Stock Merchant Chicken Stock or Chicken Bone Broth, hot
• the zest and juice of one lemon
• 3 tablespoons of heavy cream, or a little extra butter
• a handful of chopped dill and parsley, to serve

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 225 celsius.
2. Combine all meatball ingredients in a bowl and roll into golf sized balls. Bake on a lined tray until the juices run clear – probably just under twenty minutes. Turn halfway through to ensure even browning.
3. Meanwhile, heat the butter in a large, wide saucepan. Sauté the onion on low to medium heat. Add a little extra splash of olive oil and add the rice tossing to coat in the oil and butter.
4. Add the wine and stir about until it evaporates. Then, add the hot stock, ladle by ladle, until it absorbs. Continue to do so until the rice is al dente. Stir in the cream (or an extra tablespoon or so of butter), the lemon juice and zest, and the parmesan. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Serve the meatballs atop the risotto, with plenty of fresh dill and parsley.