Albondigon -Meat loaf
This is another typical Gibraltarian dish, and like every other recipe posted here, each household has it’s own version of how to make it.
My grandmothers recipe’s meat loaf is more of a couple of giant meatballs, which are then boiled in soup and either served hot as it is, or reheated the next day on its own, or in a tomato based sauce, or even breaded and refried.
However you decide to serve this, I hope you enjoy.
Ingredients
500g minced meat. I prefer Veal for this.
215g Grated Cheese. I use Edam but cheddar works just as well.
1-2 slices of white crustless bread taken from a 400g packet.
2 cloves garlic
Bunch of fresh parsley
Pinch dried Marjoram
Pinch Dried Italian mix herbs
2 eggs
SOUP
2-3 large potatoes - peeled and cut in half
4 large carrots - peeled and cut into chunks
3-4 large Celery stalks- de threaded (scrape a veg peeler over the celery stalks) and cut into large pieces. I also like to add the stalks with leaves as I find this gives great flavour
1 large turnip peeled and cut into quarters
1 large leek, cleaned, peeled and cut into chunks.
Large piece of pumpkin, peeled, deseeded and cut into chunks. If you don't have pumpkin on hand you can use a courgette as this works just as well.
2 litre Vegetable Stock -you might need to add some more if you have a very deep stock pot
Instructions
1
Place all the Soup vegetables into a deep stock pot. Add the stock and slowly bring to the boil.
2
Whilst soup is coming to a boil.
3
Add the sliced bread, parsley and garlic cloves to the bowl of a food processor. Blitz until they are finely minced.
4
In a separate deep bowl, add the meat, break up slightly then add the cheese, mix to incorporate. Add the bread, parsley and garlic mix, the dried herbs and stir to mix all the ingredients in thoroughly.
5
Beat the eggs in a separate bowl and add to the mix. With your hands mix in all the ingredients until they come together. Mix should be cohesive and slightly moist but not too sticky. If its too sticky add in some dried breadcrumbs to dry it out slightly. Do not add too much of this as it will make the mix too dry once cooked.
6
Divide the mix into two to three largish sized meat balls.
7
With the soup at a rolling boil, add the meat balls to the liquid and continue to boil for 5-10 minutes, so that the meat balls adhere and keep their shape.
8
After 10 minutes, lower the heat and simmer the soup and meatballs for a further 10-15 minutes. Or until the vegetables are softened. Keep an eye on the liquid as you don't want it to dry out.
9
Once the vegetables are done, remove the meatballs from the soup, drain and keep separate.
10
Remove the potatoes from the soup, drain and keep separate
11
With a hand help immersion blender, blitz the remaining vegetable with the soup to puree. Season to taste.
12
Mash the potatoes whilst still hot, and slice some of the meat balls.
13
Serve the soup as a starter and the Meatloaf with the mashed potatoes as the main dish.
ENJOY
