Coq au Vin Meatballs

I often enjoy taking a Saturday evening to treat myself and cook up a hearty meal, and my scouring of the wealth of internet recipes led me to this intriguing selection. I love me some French food, and this twist on a traditional coq au vin seemed like the perfect Saturday night

Recipe

adapted from Half Baked Harvest
Serves 6

1¼ lbs ground turkey or chicken
1 egg
⅓ cup Panko bread crumbs
⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
2-3 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
4 carrots, chopped
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
2 tbsp tomato paste
1½ cups dry red wine, like Cabernet Sauvignon
1 cup chicken broth
2 bay leaves
4 thyme sprigs

Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Add the turkey, egg, bread crumbs, parmesan, and a pinch each of salt and pepper to a bowl, and mix thoroughly. Roll the meat into tablespoon-size balls (about 20 or so), placing them on the prepared baking sheet. Transfer to the oven and bake for 15-20 min or until the meatballs are crisp and cooked through.

Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon and reserve. If there's excess grease, drain off all but 1 tbsp. To the skillet, add onion and cook for 5 minutes, until softened and fragrant. Stir in garlic, carrots and mushrooms and cook for another 5 minutes, until vegetables caramelize on the edges. Add the tomato paste and cook 1 minute.

Add in the red wine, chicken broth, bay leaves, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine, bring the sauce to a boil, and cook 10 minutes or until the sauce thickens slightly. Stir in the meatballs, cover and cook 5 minutes, until the meatballs are coated in the sauce. Remove the bay leaves and thyme and discard. Stir in the reserved bacon.

Serve the meatballs and sauce over mashed potatoes.

Musings

A few notes on preparation: Had some leftover prosciutto so I used that instead of bacon. Also happened to forget the garlic!

This dish was delightful! Full of earthy flavours and complexity. Relatively straightforward to make and leaving one with lots of leftovers, it makes for an excellent weekend dish with several weekday meals. I liked that it was a bit of a re-interpretation of a classic dish--makes me wonder what other types of dishes can be re-imagined with meatballs. Definitely one to add to my repertoire!