Tamal Ray’s recipe for pork and tarragon meatballs with lemony leeks

These pork meatballs are the perfect meal on a hot summer’s day, with bright flavours of lemon, coriander and tarragon. The fried breadcrumbs are a particular delight – crispy, salty and fiery. And satisfyingly thrifty if, like me, you have a seemingly endless supply of stale, half-eaten loaves that need to be used up.

Pork and tarragon baked meatballs with lemony leeks and fried breadcrumbs

Prep 20 min
Cook 2 5 min
Serves 4

For the leeks
4 leeks , washed and cut into ½cm slices
50g salted butter , melted
2 pinches ground chilli
Juice of 1 lemon (save the finely grated zest for the breadcrumbs)

For the meatballs
750g minced pork
1 bunch tarragon , leaves finely chopped (30g)
1 bunch coriander , leaves finely chopped (30g)
1 red onion (100g), peeled and finely diced
1½ tsp fine salt
20g plain flour
1 large egg

For the breadcrumbs
90g stale sourdough
90g salted butter
A pinch of chilli powder , plus more to taste
Zest of 1 lemon
A pinch of salt

Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Put the leeks into a large roasting tin, then toss with the butter, chilli and lemon juice.

Mix the meatball ingredients in a large bowl. Form into 16-18 equal-sized balls, arrange these on top of the leeks, then bake for 20 minutes, until the meatballs are starting to brown on top.

While the meatballs and leeks are cooking, blitz the sourdough in a food processor to coarse breadcrumbs. Melt the butter in a frying pan until bubbling, then stir through the breadcrumbs. Cook over a medium heat for two minutes, then stir in the chilli powder and lemon zest, and cook for another minute, until the breadcrumbs are browned and crisp. Taste and add salt and more chilli to taste – they should have a satisfyinghot and salty kick to them.

When the meatballs are ready, scatter the crisp breadcrumbs on top and serve at once.