Turkey Meatballs in Tomato and Harissa Sauce
Serves 4
Adapted from The Washington Post
½ small onion
⅓ cup rolled oats
1 large egg
3 tablespoons parsley, coarsely chopped, plus more for garnish
2 cloves garlic, minced, divided
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 pound ground turkey
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cans (15 ounces, 450 milliliters each) diced tomatoes, pureed
2 tablespoons harissa, or more as needed
Couscous, for serving (here’s a recipe for a Couscous with Sultanas and Pine Nuts)
Using a box grater, grate the onion into a medium bowl until you have about 2 tablespoons. Add the oats and 1 tablespoon of the pureed diced tomatoes into the bowl and stir. Let the mixture sit until the liquid is mostly absorbed, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Add the egg, parsley, half of the minced garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and stir to combine. Add the ground turkey and mix with your hands to combine, but avoid overmixing.
Wet your hands with cold water and form the turkey mixture into 9-12 balls. If the meatballs seem loose, refrigerate them for 30 minutes to firm them up.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. As the pan is heating up, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil . Once the oil is hot, add the meatballs and cook, turning them two to three times, until browned all over and nearly cooked through, about 5 minutes.
Stir the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, pureed diced tomatoes, harissa, remaining garlic, and the remaining ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper into the skillet with the meatballs.
Turn the heat to medium and bring the sauce to a boil. Once boiling, let it cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the meatballs are cooked through and the sauce has somewhat thickened, about 10-15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning to preferences.
Serve over couscous and divide the meatballs and sauce between the bowls. Garnish with additional parsley.
Enjoy!