Name: Persian meatballs with sour cherries
Cook time: 70 min
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 100 gram dried sour tart cherries; 400 gram basmati rice; 500 gram lamb mince; 1 medium onion; 1 clove garlic, crushed; 1 teaspoon salt, plus extra for sprinkling; 2 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon; 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger; 3 tablespoon olive oil; 90 gram butter, melted; 3 tablespoon blanched almonds, roughly chopped; 3 tablespoon pistachios, roughly chopped; flaky sea salt, to sprinkle; 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika; 2/3 tablespoon pomegranate molasses; lemon wedges, to serve

Ingredients

100 gram dried sour tart cherries

400 gram basmati rice

500 gram lamb mince

1 medium onion

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon salt, plus extra for sprinkling

2 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

3 tablespoon olive oil

90 gram butter, melted

3 tablespoon blanched almonds, roughly chopped

3 tablespoon pistachios, roughly chopped

flaky sea salt, to sprinkle

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

2/3 tablespoon pomegranate molasses

lemon wedges, to serve

Method

1.Cover cherries with hot water and soak for 30 minutes. Wash rice in a bowl of warm water, tip it into a sieve and rinse under running cold water until the water runs clear. Drain.

2.Put minced lamb in a bowl. Peel and coarsely grate onion into another bowl. Pour off most of the liquid from onion, then add to bowl of lamb. Add garlic, salt, cinnamon and ginger. Mix to a soft paste. With wet hands, roll into balls the size of large cherries, placing them on a plate as they are done. Chill for 15 minutes.

3.Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium frying pan over a medium-high heat. Drop in 1 tablespoon butter and, once it is sizzling, drop in half the meatballs. Brown well, shaking the pan once or twice to move balls around and ensure even browning. Transfer to a clean plate. Reheat pan, adding remaining oil and another 1 tablespoon butter, and cook remaining balls in the same way.

4.Bring a large heavy-based pan of salted water to the boil and add drained rice. Cook for 10 minutes, or until rice is almost cooked but retains a little bite. Drain and set aside.

5.Fry nuts in a little sizzling butter until golden, then transfer to a plate and sprinkle with sea salt. Drain cherries.

6.Heat 2 tablespoons butter with the paprika in a heavy-based casserole that can go over direct heat. Combine with a ladleful of rice and spread over the bottom of the casserole. Layer up with meatballs, rice and drained cherries, sprinkling with flaky sea salt as you go, and finishing with a layer of rice. Pour over the remaining butter.

7.Cover with a lid and cook over low heat for 30 minutes until a golden crust forms on the bottom of the casserole (it should smell delicious and sound as if it is gently sizzling).

8.Carefully invert (flop!) contents of casserole into a large serving bowl. Drizzle with pomegranate molasses and sprinkle with the fried nuts. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.

Pomegranate molasses are available from specialty and Middle Eastern food stores.
Note

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