Crab and Chicken Meatballs with a Honey, Soy and Garlic Sauce with Chilli and Lime
These delectable, soft, sweet crab and chicken meatballs are wrapped in a sticky honey sauce, with salty soy, tangy lime and a kick of chilli. Serves 2-3
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
- 6g – 8g/3 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
- 8g fresh ginger, trimmed and finely chopped
- 20g spring onions, trimmed and roughly chopped
- 5g coriander (some stalk is OK)
- 200g minced chicken (or pork or turkey)
- 200g fresh white crab meat
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
To cook:
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil (or ground nut or vegetable oil)
For the Honey, Soy and Garlic Sauce with Chilli and Lime:
- 80g runny honey
- 4 tablespoons soy sauce (I use Kikkoman reduced salt)
- 2 tablespoons lime juice (or lemon)
- 1 tablespoon roasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder *1
- ¼ teaspoon chilli flakes
To garnish:
- chopped spring onions
- chopped coriander
- sesame seeds
- chopped red chilli
To serve:
- cooked rice – ideally sticky rice, OR noodles
- your choice of green vegetables or salad (See Recipe Notes?
Instructions
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Collect together your equipment (see Recipe Notes below) and ingredients.
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Preheat oven to Fan Oven 180°C/200°C/400°F/Gas 6
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First, make the Crab and Chicken meatballs – put your pan inside the oven to heat up. Ideally use a pan you can use in the oven and also on the hob. I use a cast-iron skillet or a frying pan. Alternatively you can use a baking tray in the oven and then transfer to a saucepan or frying pan on the hob.
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Peel and roughly chop the ginger and garlic. Trim and roughly chop the spring onions.
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Put into a food processor with the coriander. Blitz until finely chopped. Alternatively, finely chop by hand.
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Put the crab in a mixing bowl and using your fingers, have a good feel to make sure there are no bits of shell in the mixture.
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Add the chicken (or turkey or pork), the chopped ginger, garlic, onion and coriander mix as well as the salt and pepper.
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Mix thoroughly - I find the easiest way is to use my hands.
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Use a small ice cream scoop or a tablespoon measure to divide into the meatballs – this mixture should make around 17 – 18.
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Roll them gently with your hands to give you a neat and smooth shape.
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Take your pan out of the oven – be careful it will be very hot – and add the oil. Brush it around to make sure it covers the base of the pan.
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Add the meatballs, and using a spoon, make sure each meatball is covered in the oil.
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Put in the oven and cook for 10 minutes.
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Whilst the meatballs are cooking, cook your rice according to packet instructions and make the sauce.
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Now, make the Honey, Soy and Garlic Sauce with Chilli and Lime - measure all the ingredients into a jam jar, screw on the lid firmly and shake well. Alternatively, measure into a small bowl and mix with a balloon whisk. All done and ready to cook.
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Bring it all together: remove your meatballs from the oven after 10 minutes and add the Honey, Soy and Garlic Sauce with Chilli and Lime. (Be careful, the pan will be very hot.)
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Cook on the hob over a moderate heat for 3 – 4 minutes to reduce and thicken the sauce. Baste the meatballs as the sauce cooks.
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All done! Garnish and serve with rice or noodles and your choice of green vegetables
Recipe Notes
Equipment:
- kitchen scales and measuring spoons
- jam jar and lid or mixing bowl and balloon whisk
- chopping board and knife
- skillet or frying pan which you can use in the oven and hob or a baking tray for the oven and a frying pan or saucepan for the hob
Serving options:
- Rice – ideally sticky rice
- Noodles
- Edamame
- Avocado
- Green salad dressed in Asian Salad Dressing
- Green vegetables such as broccoli, green beans, asparagus, mange tout, snow peas
Garlic – if you prefer to use fresh garlic instead of garlic powder, use 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
Ginger – this would also be delicious with some added fresh ginger. You will need around 15g peeled and grated fresh root ginger or try adding ¼ teaspoon powdered ginger.