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This article aims to guide you through preparing a delightful single-serving dinner, focusing on tender, herby chicken meatballs that stand out as a versatile meal option.
These meatballs, simmered in a straightforward tomato sauce, offer the added advantage of being easily adaptable for several meals throughout the week.
For instance, I find it delicious to serve some over polenta on the night they are prepared, then repurpose the leftovers later on with a variety of dishes. They can be tossed with pasta, sliced for a sub sandwich topped with melted mozzarella, or even enjoyed for breakfast over rice with a fried egg. The sauce keeps the meatballs moist even after reheating, which can be done gently in a skillet. These meatballs also freeze well, making it convenient to have extras ready for future meals.
To start, drizzle a small amount of extra-virgin olive oil onto a quarter sheet tray or a large plate. Finely chop â…“ cup of flat-leaf parsley, discarding any thick stems. This quantity typically comes from a small bunch, which is advantageous if you often deal with surplus herbs.
In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 large egg, ½ cup of panko breadcrumbs, ⅓ cup of grated Parmesan, 1 clove of grated garlic, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1½ teaspoons of kosher salt, some freshly cracked black pepper, and the parsley. Add in 1 pound of ground chicken (ground turkey is an excellent substitute), mixing everything thoroughly with your hands.
Next, lightly grease your hands with some of the olive oil from the tray to make shaping the meatballs easier. Roll each portion into balls about two inches in diameter and place them on the tray. You should have around a dozen meatballs when finished.
I recommend refrigerating the meatballs for a few minutes while you tidy up the kitchen. Their moist texture benefits from this brief cooling period, helping them maintain their shape during cooking.
Heat a large stainless steel skillet over medium heat, adding enough olive oil to coat the bottom lightly. Once heated, add the meatballs and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, turning occasionally until browned evenly.
After browning, push the meatballs to one side of the skillet, lower the heat to medium-low, and incorporate a 15-ounce can of crushed tomatoes. Season the tomatoes with a pinch of salt and stir. Then, mix the meatballs back into the sauce, allowing them to simmer together for 15 to 20 minutes. If the sauce bubbles too vigorously, reduce the heat slightly.
Transforming a simple tomato sauce into something sublime doesn’t require much. Consider Marcella Hazan’s minimalist sauce, which includes only salt, butter, and onion. In this case, simmering the meatballs in the tomatoes for a short time will enhance the flavor immensely, melding the richness of the meat with the sauce.
If you opt to pair the meatballs with polenta, start cooking it just before the meatballs are finished. This timing will ensure everything is ready to serve simultaneously. A good ratio to follow is ¼ cup of polenta to 1 cup of water, along with a pinch of salt and a bit of butter stirred in at the end.
Regardless of how you choose to serve them, you can be assured that there will be leftovers to enjoy the next day.
Emma Wartzman is the kitchen and dining writer at New York Magazine’s the Strategist.
Additional photo illustration credits: bowl photo by Emma Wartzman
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www.eater.com