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Cumin-Flavored Meatballs with Couscous
Serves 8
Swedish meatballs everyone knows and loves. Marcus thought it would be fun to take
that tradition in a different direction-like North Africa, where he has done a lot of
traveling and eating in the last few years. These sweet-spicy meatballs served with a
wonderfully aromatic couscous make a nice, substantial anchor for this menu. You can also make
them a little smaller and serve them speared on decorative picks as a party hors d'oeuvre.
Ingredients
Meatballs 2 teaspoons ground cumin1 teaspoon chili powder 1 cup fine dried bread crumbs 4 cloves garlic, chopped 1/2 cup heavy cream 1/4 cup olive oil 2 red onions, finely chopped 1 pound ground beef chuck or sirloin 1 pound ground veal 1 pound ground pork 1/4 cup honey 2 large eggs Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 6 tablespoons unsalted butter Couscous 5 cups waterSalt 2 cups quick-cooking couscous 4 tablespoons olive oil 2 cloves garlic, minced 4 jalapeño chiles, seeded, ribs removed, and finely chopped 1 cup raisins 6 tomatoes, chopped 1/4 cup chopped black olives Juice of 2 limes 1/2 cup loosely packed small cilantro sprigs, chopped 1/2 cup loosely packed small flat-leaf parsley sprigs, chopped |
 Photos by Maren Caruso
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To make the meatballs, in a small, dry skillet, toast the cumin and chili powder over medium heat, stirring, for 1 minute, or until fragrant. Pour onto a small saucer to cool. In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, garlic, and cream and stir with a fork until the crumbs are evenly moistened. Set aside.
In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté for about 5 minutes, or until softened. Remove from the heat.
In a large bowl, combine the beef, veal, pork, sautéed onion, toasted cumin and chili powder, honey, and eggs and mix well with your hands. Season with salt and pepper. Add the bread-crumb mixture and again mix well with your hands. To test the seasoning, microwave a small nugget of the mixture, taste, and adjust the seasoning.
Lightly moisten a platter or large plate with water. Dampen your hands (to keep the mixture from sticking to them) and shape the mixture into meatballs the size of a golf ball. As each meatball is made, place it on the moistened platter. You should have about 48 meatballs.
In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. When the butter froths, add the meatballs, working in batches if necessary to avoid crowding. Cook, turning them frequently, for about 10 minutes, or until browned on all sides and cooked through. Transfer the meatballs to a plate, and discard all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the skillet. Keep the meatballs warm.
To make the couscous, in a large saucepan, bring the water to a boil and add 2 teaspoons salt. Pour in the couscous, adjust the heat so the couscous is simmering, and cook for 2 minutes, or until the couscous is tender. Drain into a large sieve and set aside.
Return the skillet used for the meatballs to high heat and add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the garlic and chiles and sauté for 3 minutes, or until the garlic is pale golden and fragrant. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, the couscous, raisins, tomatoes, olives, lime juice, cilantro, and parsley and toss to heat through. Season with salt.
Transfer the couscous to a bowl or platter and serve hot or at room temperature, with the warm meatballs either piled on top or served alongside.
