Oriental meatballs with feta cheese

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 800 g minced meat (half lamb, half beef)
• 2 onions
• 1 garlic clove(s)
• 1 egg(s)
• 1 bunch parsley, flat
• ½ bunch mint
• 1 stale roll
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp mustard
• 150 g feta cheese
• ½ tsp Ras el Hanout
• 1 pinch of cumin
• salt and pepper
• 1 pinch of paprika powder
• 100 g breadcrumbs
• Milk
• Rapeseed oil

Instructions

Working time approx. 15 minutes; Rest time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 15 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour

a touch of the Orient in a Germanized way

Finely dice the onions and garlic. Soak the bread roll in warm milk. Finely chop the herbs. First, sauté the diced onions in hot oil, then sauté the garlic. Let cool. Add the egg, chopped herbs, onion-garlic mixture, tomato paste, mustard, the soaked (but not squeezed) bread roll, and seasonings to the minced meat. Mix everything well. Cover and refrigerate the meat mixture for half an hour. Cut the feta into 2 cm cubes. If you don’t want to try raw minced meat, take some of the minced meat and fry it in oil to test the salt and seasoning levels. Season to taste if necessary. Don’t add too much salt, as the cheese will still be salty. Form the meat mixture into 4 cm diameter balls and fill each with a cube of cheese. Roll the balls in the breadcrumbs, lightly pressing the crumbs down. Heat plenty of oil in a deep pan and fry the meatballs for about 5 minutes until crispy brown, but still moist inside. Serve warm or cold. This pairs best with a mixed salad of tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and romaine lettuce with a vinegar and oil dressing, or with Greek rice pasta and a light tomato sauce.