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Food & Wine Recipe

Bitter Ballen

Contributed by Cocktails 2008
  • ACTIVE:
  • TOTAL TIME:
  • SERVINGS: 8

Resto, Manhattan

Although these delectable fried meatballs originated in the Netherlands, they're also popular in Belgium—and at Resto, a hip Belgian restaurant.

  1. 3/4 pound ground veal
  2. 1/4 pound ground pork
  3. 2 garlic cloves, minced
  4. 1 large shallot, minced
  5. 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  6. 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  7. 1 1/3 cups fine dry bread crumbs
  8. 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk
  9. 1 large egg yolk plus 2 large beaten eggs
  10. 1/2 cup coarsely shredded Gruyère cheese
  11. 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons tapioca starch
  12. Vegetable oil, for frying
  1. In a large bowl, mix the veal with the pork, garlic, shallot, salt and nutmeg. Refrigerate for 1 hour. In a bowl, mix cup of the bread crumbs and the milk; let stand for 10 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and work to a paste. Stir the paste, egg yolk and Gruyère into the veal mixture. Roll into 1-inch balls; refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
  2. Put 1/2 cup of the tapioca starch, the beaten eggs and the remaining 1 cup of bread crumbs in 3 bowls. Stir the remaining 3 tablespoons of tapioca starch into the bread crumbs. Dust each meatball in the tapioca. Roll in the eggs, then in the bread crumbs.
  3. In a saucepan, heat 1 1/2 inches of oil to 350°. Fry the meatballs in batches until golden and cooked through, about 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels; serve.