Ingredients
- For the meatballs
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup minced onion
- 2 cloves of garlic (minced)
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup parsley (finely chopped)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 egg (lightly scrambled)
- 1/3 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano (freshly grated)
- For the stew
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 ounces bacon (sliced into lardons)
- 1 cup carrots (medium dice)
- 1 cup celery (medium dice)
- 1 cup onion (medium dice)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 tablespoon thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 cup leftover dry red wine
- 3 cups low sodium beef stock
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (softened, divided)
- 2 cups mushrooms (quartered)
- 1 cup pearl onions (frozen)
- 1/2 cup parsley (roughly chopped)
Preparation
Step 1
• For the meatballs: Place a small sauté pan over medium high heat. Add the olive oil followed by the onions and garlic with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally until the onions are translucent, 5 minutes. Remove to a plate to cool slightly.
• In the meantime, mix together the chicken, Worcestershire, breadcrumbs, parsley, oregano, egg and parmesan. Season well with salt and pepper then mix in the cooled onions and garlic. Scoop into 12 meatballs then set aside.
• For the stew: Place a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil. Once hot, add the meatballs. Space them out in an even layer and brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Remove to a plate and set aside.
• Drain the oil from the pan, place it back on the heat then add the bacon. Cook, stirring occasionally until crisp, 2-3 minutes. Add the carrots, onions, celery and garlic. Season with salt and pepper then cook, stirring occasionally for 4 minutes. Add the flour and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Mix in the thyme and tomato paste and cook for an additional minute. Add the wine and beef stock and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce to a simmer, add the meatballs back in and cook, stirring occasionally for 30 minutes.
• In the meantime, place a large sauté pan over high heat. Add 2T butter followed by the mushrooms and onions. Shake them out into an even layer and cook, stirring minimally for 5-8 minutes, until deep golden brown. Season with salt and pepper then mix in to the stew. Bring to a simmer and season with salt and pepper.
• Ladle in to bowls and garnish with parsley.
Tips
- Use leftover or affordable red wine for this recipe; such as a pinot noir, cabernet or merlot.
- Replace the chicken meatballs with beef chuck for a more traditional recipe.