Not what you were expecting? Go to my Indian Kofta Curry (meatball curry) recipe. Exactly what you were hoping for? Then serve it Italian style with Homemade Fresh Pasta, or with Herb and Garlic Mashed Potatoes.
What is Marsala sauce
This age-old Don of a sauce is straight off the streets of Sicily. Marsala cream sauce is a classic characterised by a sweet injection of Marsala wine, a fortified wine from the region, garlic, mushrooms, herbs and, sometimes, thick velvety cream. Often served over steak or chicken, the flavour is a heady combination of rich, earthy and sweet notes in a slick liquid form. Marsala comes in either sweet or dry, but dry can be tricky to source in the UK. It won’t taste quite the same or be a bonafide Marsala sauce, but if you can’t get your hands on either, you can substitute with any other sweet and fortified wine like madeira or sherry. But don’t let investing in a whole bottle put you off, I’m sure you’ll get through it! Not only is it great to cook with, the deliciously nutty, burnt caramel flavour makes it a gorgeous drinking wine, best for pairing with desserts. It keeps longer than non-fortified wines, so you can bring it out again on future special occasions.
Meatball recipe
Meatballs are an economical choice to showcase your creamy marsala and mushroom sauce. To keep things simple but flavoursome, I always combine ground beef and pork. The flavour and texture are sublime- providing you cook them properly! The secret to a tasty meatball and a rich sauce is in the searing. This means colouring your meatballs in your cooking pan before you do anything else! It’s also known ‘browning’, or more scientifically, a Maillard reaction. Essentially, what happens is amino acids and reducing sugars react with heat, this is what turns food an irresistible toffee colour. During the reaction aromas are released and flavours enhanced. Think of cookies baking or steak frying. So, we sear, or brown, so these aromas and flavours are released into the cooking pan and can then infuse the oil or other fat we are planning to cook with. Anyone still thinking they’re going to cut that little corner? I didn’t think so.
Storage and leftovers
In my house we have no problem ploughing through every meatball in this twenty-meatball recipe! However, if you’re cooking for one or two, you might have some leftovers. Store what’s left in an airtight container and they’ll keep in the fridge for 2-3 days. Don’t be tempted to freeze the meatballs and marsala cream sauce together as when cream thaws it becomes grainy and unpleasant. Of course, you can freeze your cooked, or uncooked, meatballs separately. In a foil and cling film wrap they’ll be good for up to two months. Safety tip: Raw then frozen meatballs need to be defrosted before cooking. Cooked then frozen meatballs do not.
Other meatball recipes
Meatballs Stroganoff Baked Penne alla Vodka with Meatballs Sweet and Sour Meatballs in Pomegranate Sauce Porcupine Meatballs in Creamy Tomato Sauce (Tefteli)
