MEATBALLS HOT TREND FOR 2012

Have you noticed the buzz about meatballs?

Restaurant consultants and food futurists have declared them one of the hot food trends for 2012. Evidence is everywhere, on restaurant menus, at food trucks, in cookbooks authored by high-end chefs.

Meatballs cut across cultural and geographic divides. Virtually every cuisine in the world claims at least one traditional meatball dish and, in some countries, there are scores of meatballs with long histories.

In Turkey, for example, where meatballs are known as kofte, there are nearly 300 traditional recipes.

Chef Thomas Keller included a recipe for his father's favorite meatballs in "The French Laundry Cookbook." Ohio's Columbus Italian Club holds the record for the World's Largest Meatball, which weighed 1,110 pounds and took three days to cook.

Meatballs are easy to make at home, for both small family dinners and big events.

They can be made in advance, they can be frozen, They can be baked in the oven instead of fried on top of the stove, an excellent option when making meatballs for a crowd.

I know this from experience. I've used the technique to make a thousand tiny meatballs, each one stuffed with a peeled clove of roasted garlic and served with a warm roasted garlic vinaigrette.

If you are intrigued by meatballs, you might consider hosting a meatball-themed party. Ask each guest to bring their favorite meatballs and if they don't have one, provide recipes.

In addition to the two in today's column, you'll find several meatball recipes at Seasonal Pantry's companion blog, Eat This Now, at pantry.blogs.pressdemocrat.com, along with more details about how to host such a fete.

Lamb and mustard are natural companions and here they are combined in a succulent meatball that is excellent as an appetizer and also delicious on sandwiches.

French-Inspired Meatballs

with Lamb, Dijon

& Capers

Makes 6 to 8 servings

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 shallots, minced

6 garlic cloves, minced

-- Kosher salt

-- Black pepper in a mill

1/2 cup Dijon mustard

2 pounds ground lamb

2 tablespoons capers, rinsed

2 tablespoons minced fresh Italian parsley

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

1 3/4 cups fresh breadcrumbs, from good hearth bread

1 egg, beaten

1 bunch Italian parsley

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Put the olive oil in a small saute pan set over medium-low heat, add the shallots and saute until soft and fragrant, about 7 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and saute 2 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper, remove from the heat and let cool.

Add 1 tablespoon of the Dijon mustard to the mixture and set the remainder aside.

Put the lamb into a mixing bowl, add the capers, parsley and thyme and mix well. Add the shallot mixture and 1 cup of the bread crumbs, mix, add the egg and mix thoroughly.

Taste a small amount and correct for salt and pepper.

Set a rimmed baking sheet near the stove.

Put the remaining bread crumbs in a wide shallow dish and season with salt and pepper.

Use a small ice cream scoop to form the mixture into balls about the size of a ping pong ball or a bit smaller. Use your fingers to roll each meatball in bread crumbs, pressing gently so that the crumbs adhere to the meat.

Set a nonstick pan over medium heat.

Fry the meatballs, a few at a time, until they are evenly browned. Transfer the browned meatballs to the baking sheet. When all of the meatballs have been browned, bake in the oven for about 15 minutes, until the meatballs are somewhat firm when pressed.

Put the remaining mustard into a small bowl and grind black pepper over it.

Spread the parsley over a serving platter, set the meatballs on top of the parsley, add the bowl of mustard and serve immediately.

Variation: Lightly toast freshly sliced sourdough bread, spread mustard on one slice, add a leaf or two of butter lettuce and top with meatballs. Top with a second slice of bread and press down gently. Cut in half and enjoy.

When I first began making these meatballs, it was difficult to find cilantro with the roots attached. It is now readily available and you shouldn't have trouble finding it. You'll need to peel off the thin membrane that covers most of the roots, as bits of dirt cling to it, but it is easy to do.

Thai Meatballs with Coconut-Peanut Sauce

Makes 4 to 6 servings

-- Coconut-Peanut Sauce (recipe follows) 2 tablespoons coconut oil or mild olive oil

1 shallot, minced

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 to 2 serranos, minced

1/2 teaspoon grated ginger

-- Kosher salt

8 ounces ground pork

4 ounces ground beef

1/4 cup cilantro roots, peeled, washed, trimmed and minced

1 teaspoon lime zest

2 tablespoons fish sauce

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

-- Peanut oil, for frying

1 to 2 bunches cilantro, long stems trimmed and discarded

2 tablespoons mint leaves, cut in very thin strips

1 lime, cut in wedges

Make the sauce and set it aside.

Put the oil into a small saute pan set over medium low heat, add the shallot and saute until soft and fragrant, about 7 minutes; do not let it brown. Add the garlic and serranos and saute 2 minutes more. Stir in the ginger, season with salt, remove from the heat and let cool.

Put the pork, beef, cilantro roots, lime zest and fish sauce into a bowl and mix well. Add the shallot mixture and the eggs and mix again.

Put the flour into a mixing bowl and dust your hands with it. Use a small ice cream scoop to shape a meatball and roll it between your palms. Drop the meatball into the flour, shake the bowl to coat it thoroughly and transfer it to a baking sheet or a sheet of wax paper. Continue until all the meatballs have been formed.

Set a piece of absorbent paper next to the stove.

Pour about 2 inches of oil into a wok or saucepan set over medium high heat until it is hot but not smoking. Carefully drop in 3 or 4 meatballs at a time and fry, turning once or twice, until they are lightly and evenly browned. Transfer the cooked meatballs to the absorbent paper to drain.

To serve, spread the cilantro sprigs on a platter, arrange the meatballs on top and scatter the mint over the meatballs. Garnish with lime wedges and serve immediately, with the sauce alongside.

Coconut-Peanut Sauce

Makes about 1 1/4 cups

1 tablespoon peanut oil

2 serranos, minced

3 scallions, very thinly sliced

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 ounces shelled roasted peanuts, crushed

1 cup thick coconut milk

1 tablespoon sugar, plus more to taste

2 to 3 tablespoons fish sauce

1 teaspoon grated lime zest

-- Juice of 1 lime

3 tablespoons minced cilantro leaves

Pour the peanut oil into a wok or saucepan set over medium heat. Add the serranos, scallions and garlic and saute, stirring constantly, for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes, until they are soft and fragrant. Do not let them brown.

Add the peanuts, reduce the heat to low and stir in the coconut milk, sugar, fish sauce, lime zest and lime juice. Stir and heat through but do not let boil. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more sugar and more fish sauce as needed for balance.

Remove the sauce from the heat, stir in the cilantro and keep hot until ready to serve.

The sauce can be refrigerated for 2 to 3 days; reheat over low heat before serving.

Variation: Serve over 4 ounces glass noodles. To do so, soften the noodles by soaking them for 30 minutes; drain the noodles, cover them with boiling water and soak until plump and translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain thoroughly and cool. Put the noodles into a large bowl, add a handful or two of salad mix, a tablespoon or two of cilantro leaves and mint leaves and toss. Divide among individual bowls, top each portion with meatballs and sauce, garnish with lime wedges and serve.

Michele Anna Jordan hosts "Mouthful" each Sunday at 7 p.m. on KRCB 90.9 & 91.1 FM. E-mail Jordan at michele@micheleannajordan.com. You'll find her blog, "Eat This Now," at pantry.blogs.pressdemocrat.com.