Meatball, Chestnut And Red Wine Braise

Total Time: 40 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 500 g raw meatballs (lamb and beef mixture, or any)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 large onions, chopped into half rings
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 12 chestnut mushrooms, chopped (optional)
• 200 g cooked peeled chestnuts
• 7 sage leaves, soaked in boiling water for 1 minute, drained and chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 150 ml red wine
• 200 ml lamb stock (a mixture of chicken and beef works well)
• salt
• pepper

Recipe

• 1 heat half of the oil in a frying pan over a high heat and when almost smoking, throw in the onions and cook fast until they are partially blackened. set aside.
• 2 next heat the rest of the oil in a large casserole dish over a high heat and brown off the meatballs, (they don't need to be completely cooked as they will cook more later).
• 3 lower the heat and add the blackened onions, garlic and mushrooms if using. cook for 2 minutes being careful that the garlic doesn't burn.
• 4 add the sage, bay leaves, red wine and stock with a touch of salt and plenty of black pepper.
• 5 bring to the boil, lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
• 6 add the chestnuts and simmer for 5 more minutes.
• 7 taste and adjust seasoning and serve.