Layer elegant, daring flavors for tasty Spanish-style meatballs

The secret to daring, elegant meals is a way referred to as layering taste. When you layer taste, you maximize the impact of a single ingredient, producing a number of distinct however complementary tastes. The result’s a dish that boasts a brief ingredient checklist and lots of persona.

Here are two entry-level examples: utilizing citrus zest and juice in a salad dressing; and cooking scallion whites right into a rice pilaf after which garnishing the completed dish with scallion greens. It’s a lesson we depend on usually, however significantly in our ebook “COOKish,” which limits recipes to simply six components.

A primary instance is our tackle wealthy and satisfying Spanish albóndigas, or tapas-style meatballs, which will be made in just below half an hour. Smoked paprika not solely spices the meatballs, it additionally flavors the sauce and helps thicken it to a glaze-like consistency. We additionally add minced garlic and thyme to the bottom beef together with the panko, in addition to prepare dinner sliced garlic and thyme sprigs within the sauce.

Chopped inexperienced olives add a briny end; search for agency, meaty inexperienced olives akin to Castelvetrano. And serve the meatballs with loads of heat, crusty bread.

Spanish-style meatballs

Start to complete: 25 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1 pound 90 p.c lean floor beef
⅔ cup panko breadcrumbs
5 medium garlic cloves, 2 minced, 3 thinly sliced
2 tablespoons smoked paprika, divided
2 teaspoons minced contemporary thyme, plus 3 thyme sprigs
Kosher salt and floor black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup pitted inexperienced olives, chopped

Directions: 

Mix collectively the meat, panko, minced garlic, 1 tablespoon paprika, minced thyme, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper; kind into 16 meatballs. In a nonstick 12-inch skillet, warmth the oil till shimmering. Add the meatballs and brown on the underside. Add 2 tablespoons water, cowl and prepare dinner till the exteriors are not pink. Uncover and prepare dinner, turning usually, till the facilities attain 160°F. Add ½ cup water, the sliced garlic, remaining 1 tablespoon paprika, thyme sprigs and olives. Cook, stirring, till the sauce evenly glazes the meatballs.

Optional garnish: Toasted sliced almonds

Get extra recipes and dinner concepts from The Washington Times meals part.