“The offer you cannot refuse.” - This line from the famous book and film
The Godfather makes the perfect introduction to a specific, yet a very common meal that is easy to prepare aboard a sailing yacht -
meatballs in tomato sauce. This meal can be seen in numerous films about
Cosa Nostra. This delicious dish probably originates from
Italy, but similar versions and varieties can be found all over the
Mediterranean.
The most delicious meatballs were, of course, those made by our grandmothers, who used to spend the entire morning preparing them. A less nostalgic but nevertheless delicious version of meatballs can easily be prepared
on board as well. All
ingredients can be found at any
supermarket, while
herbs that are added to the meal grow all over the
Mediterranean.
To prepare meatballs, you are going to need
minced meat, preferably
veal, but the combination of veal and pork will work as well. Soak some
toast bread (or save old bread from being thrown overboard) in
lukewarm water and mix it with minced meat. Add an
egg into the mixture and keep
stirring it intensely.
Salt,
black pepper and finely chopped
parsley leaves should be added according to your taste.
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Parsley[/caption]
Wash your
hands after stirring and leave them
wet. That way it will be easier to create balls. In the meantime,
oil the
pan and make it hot enough so that you can slightly roast the meatballs. Try to roast them evenly. You might help yourself with a barbecue skewer or something else to hold the balls.
To prepare the sauce, you first have to
simmer finely chopped
onions in the
olive oil. When the onions become golden-brown and their consistency becomes glassy, add
peeled tomatoes and stir the mixture until it gets creamy. If you like a stronger taste of tomatoes, you can add some
tomato puree. When you are happy with the consistency of the sauce, it is time to put the meatballs into it and cook them for a while, just to allow all the tastes to interconnect.
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Olive oil[/caption]
Whenever you cook a dish with either fresh or cooked and peeled tomatoes, you should add a
teaspoon of sugar, which reduces some nasty acids from the tomatoes. If you want your meal to have the true Mediterranean taste, you should enrich it with some
herbs. Freshly cut
oregano or
basil are always a good idea, while finely chopped
black olives add a special touch to this meal. The Italians usually serve the meatballs in tomato sauce with
spaghetti, so you can try that as well.
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Oregano[/caption]
This is a basic recipe for meatballs in tomato sauce. I look forward to hearing about your versions and improvements, and about the reactions of your ever hungry crew.
I wish you a calm sea, a fine wind and a strong mast!
