Spanish Meatballs: Aussie Style

Since I finally bought my Spanish terracotta dishes the other week I've been inspired to try making some Spanish recipes... with an Aussie twist.  As I still don't really like beef, I substitute with other gamey meats instead.  So here is my Spanish Kangaroo Meatballs recipe.

Oh but before I start typing the recipe I need to record the incredible meal my friend Liz and I had at Mamasita's last night.  Thank goodness we were only a table of two, as at 6.15pm walk-ins of three had a 2+ hour wait and walk-ins of four had a 4+ hour wait.  Whereas we were sipping magaritas by 6.30pm!  We shared 8 dishes and every single one was amazing:

• Elotes callejeros - grilled corn with chipotle mayonnaise, cheese and lime
• Crab meat tostaditas
• Fish taco
• Prawn taco
• Ceviche in coconut milk
• Salmon ceviche (with a hint of mustard)
• Chipotle-braised goat with a roasted sweet corn puree
• A quinoa salad with corn, spinach, coriander, chilli & ‘pico de gallo’

We then went to Red Bennies for some great cocktails, crazy circus acts and electroswing (so excited to have found a place that plays it in Melbourne, yay).

Spanish Kangaroo Meatballs

Serves 2 as a meal or 4 as an entree. 

250g of kangaroo mince
3/4 of a cup of fresh white breadcrumbs (perhaps get some french bread and use the rest to serve with the dish)
1 tablespoon of tomato paste
3 cloves of finely chopped garlic
2 finely chopped spring onions
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons of chopped fresh thyme
1/2 a teaspoon of turmeric
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 can of chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons of red wine (which leaves about 720ml of wine for dinner, excellent)
2 teaspoons of chopped fresh basil 
2 teaspoons of chopped fresh rosemary

1. Mix the kangaroo mince, breadcrumbs, tomato paste, garlic, scallions, egg, thyme, turmeric, salt, and pepper (food prep gloves are a big help here). Using your hands, shape the mixture into 12 balls.
2. Heat the olive oil in a medium sized frypan over a medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and cook for several minutes or until browned on all sides.

3. Add the tomatoes, wine, basil, and rosemary. Simmer gently for around 15 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked. Season generously with salt and pepper and serve hot with slices of bread to mop up the sauce.