THE CANNY COOK: Harissa chicken meatballs

It infuriates me that most supermarkets still don’t offer free-range options in their pre-cooked or ready-prepared chicken ranges. While I’m a strong advocate of cooking from scratch, there are times that I’d love to be able to pick up a rotisserie chicken, or breaded or marinated pieces, knowing they’ve been reared to the same welfare standards that I choose when buying raw. So this is my call for supermarkets to do better.

I have a similar gripe with minced chicken, which is now widely available at supermarkets. I have never understood why it isn’t more popular in this country. We’re a nation of chicken lovers, and minced is brilliant for everything from meatballs to burgers and koftes. It’s leaner and lighter than red meat with a mild flavour that welcomes spices and sauces. I often ask my butcher to mince thighs for me, and then I’ll bulk it out with grated veg – carrots in winter, courgettes in summer – or a pack of pre-cooked quinoa, which adds texture and fibre and helps it go further. In this week’s recipe, I’ve used harissa to give chicken meatballs a kick, cooking them in a garlicky tomato and white bean sauce. It’s a brilliant one-pan dish, and any leftovers taste even better the next day.

400g tin cannellini beans, 49p; 2-3 tbsp harissa paste, £1.80

500g minced chicken, £3; 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes, 90p

METHOD 

Place the chicken mince in a large mixing bowl with ½ tsp salt and 2-3 tbsp harissa (remember that harissa pastes vary in heat), and some grated veg too, if you like. Mix together well, then roll into 12 equal balls.

Heat 2 tbsp cooking oil in a large sauté pan or shallow casserole over a medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and fry, turning regularly, for 8-10 minutes until browned all over.

Lift the meatballs out of the pan and set aside. Turn the heat to medium and add 2 crushed garlic cloves, stirring for a minute until fragrant. Tip in the tinned tomatoes, then swish the cans out with a little water and also add to the pan. Drain and rinse the cannellini beans, then add them too, with a pinch of salt.

Return the meatballs to the pan and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until cooked through. Serve with rice or couscous, some chopped parsley or coriander, and a dollop of yogurt.

ILLUSTRATIONs: Sally Caulwell at Folioart