Here is a twist to the classic meatball dish. The flavors of the red wine and plum sauce are the perfect marriage of sweet, sour and a hint of bitterness too. They make the meatballs more aromatic and flavorful.

You can eat this casserole with salad or garlic naan bread, although it may also work with rice or in a sandwich.

 

Ingredients:

500g minced beef

2/3 cup white breadcrumbs

6 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Plain flour

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 large onions, quartered

1/2 cup red wine

1/3 cup plum sauce

1 1/2 cups beef stock

For the parsley crust:

1 1/2 cup self-rising flour

20g butter

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

3/4 cup milk

Pre-heat the oven at 210C and flour a baking sheet. After, place the minced beef, bread crumbs, garlic and Worcestershire in a large bowl. Mix well. Get a heaped tablespoon of the ground beef mixture and then roll it into a ball. Dust the ball in flour and place it on the baking sheet. Do the same for the rest of the ground meat mixture. Shake off the excess flour.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan or skillet over medium heat. Cook the meatballs in batches for 4-6 minutes until it is browned. Turn at least once. Once they are cooked, transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels to drain off the excess oil and then put them in a shallow baking dish.

Sauté the onions in the same skillet for 2-4 minutes until they are light brown.  Add the red wine, jam and beef stock. Increase the heat to high and ten bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat the heat to low. Let it simmer for 4-6 minutes until the onions are soft and the liquid is reduced. Pour the sauce over the meatballs to let the meatballs marinate a bit

 

Next, prepare the crust we have to sift the flour into a medium sized bowl. Using your fingertips, slowly rub the butter into the flour for 2-3 minutes until you get a crumbly mixture. Add the parsley and then gradually add the milk while stirring the crust mixture using a spatula. Place a generous spoonful of this mixture on top of the meatballs. Bake it for 30-35 minutes until the crust becomes golden brown. Remove the baking dish from the oven and then let it stand for 5 minutes before serving.