Hot dinner: steamy chicken balls
Jez Felwick runs a grass covered street food van called The Bowler, from which he sells gourmet meatballs, fish balls and veg balls at markets and events in London. Here is the second of five featured recipes from his new book The Bowler's Meatball Cookbook (£16.99, Mitchell Beazley, out now).
STEAMY CHICKEN BALLS
Serves 4–6; preparation time 20 minutes, plus chilling; cooking time 20–35 minutes
It’s time to dust off your bamboo steamer – you know it’s on the top shelf somewhere. This is my ball food answer to Chinese dumplings. Am convinced they’re very good for you. Anything steamed is, right?
Ingredients:
1 large free-range egg
3 spring onions, finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
200g skinless, boneless chicken
breasts, minced
300g skinless, boneless chicken
thighs, minced
1 x 3cm piece of fresh ginger,
peeled and grated
100g breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
freshly ground black pepper
sesame oil, for brushing
Beat the egg in a large bowl. Add all the other ingredients except the sesame oil and mix with your hands until well combined. You can blitz this in a food processor, but don’t over-process – you want to keep some texture and bite.
Heat a small frying pan over a high heat. Break off a small amount of the mixture, flatten between your fingers and fry until cooked. Taste to check the seasoning and add more if necessary.
Form the mixture into 18 small balls each about 4cm in diameter, packing each one firmly. Chill the balls for 15 minutes, and meanwhile bring a pan of water to the boil.
Line the bottom of a bamboo steamer with some baking parchment, or a banana leaf if you’re feeling fancy … then brush the balls with sesame oil and lay them in the steamer. Steam on a high heat for 15 minutes, or until they are cooked through. You may have to steam the balls in two batches – don’t overcrowd your steamer.
Serve the balls with pickled carrot and daikon and a bowl of soy sauce with sliced red chilli added, for dipping.
Find Jez Felwick on Twitter @TheBowlerUK, or online at thebowleruk.tumblr.com.
