Porcupine Meatballs With a Cream Sauce – Тефтели “Ёжики”

Life in Florida certainly has it’s many benefits and our sunny winter is one of them for sure. I’ve always been one of those people that is always cold. If everyone else is hot, I’m finally comfortable. Alas, I’ve learned to always have a sweater in the car, just in case, and it’s usually put to good use.

Even Florida has it’s “cold days”, and those are the times when I long for coziness and staying close to the hearth of my home. I love snuggling under a warm blanket with a good book, usually one that I picked from our shelves and have read countless times already. That’s the time to make a simple but comforting dinner. I like comfort food as much as any other person, but I prefer that it wouldn’t taste heavy, and this dish accomplishes both.

In Russian, these Porcupine Meatballs (Tefteli Ezhiki) are called this way because of the rice that is used in them, that pokes out from the meatballs in little “quills”.  Baked in a scrumptious sauce that’s flavored with carrots, onions and tomato paste and just a bit of cream, it definitely tastes comforting to me.

Serves: 48 meatballs

Ingredients

Meatballs:

• 1½ lbs ground beef
• 1½ lbs ground pork
• 1 cup rice, partially cooked
• 2 onions, minced
• 1 egg
• ½ cup water
• 3 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Cream Sauce:

• 3-4 Tablespoons butter
• 3 large carrots, peeled and shredded
• 2-3 onions, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 5 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 Tablespoons flour
• 5 cups chicken broth, warm
• ½ cup heavy cream
• salt and pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Partially cook the rice. I usually bring the water to a boil and cook for 5-7 minutes. Drain and cool slightly.
Combine all the ingredients for the meatballs in a large bowl. Form meatballs approximately 2 Tablespoons each. Place in a rimmed baking pan.
You can use a portion scoop to make it easier to form the meatballs. Or use your hands. Moisten your hands every once in a while so the meat mixture doesn't stick to your hands.
For the cream sauce, melt butter in a large skillet. Add the onions, season with salt and pepper and cook for about 5 minutes.
Add the carrots, season with salt and pepper and cook, covered, for another 5 minutes, until the carrots soften. Add the garlic and tomato paste to the center of the pan, cook for about 30 seconds.
Add the flour and cook for another 1-2 minutes, until it's completely incorporated into the carrots and onions.
Pour in part of the chicken broth and whisk. Gradually add the rest of the broth. Cook for about 15 minutes.
Take off the heat and stir in the heavy cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Pour the cream sauce over the meatballs.
Cover the baking pan with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 40-50 minutes.

Source:

http://www.olgasflavorfactory.com/main-course/porcupine-meatballs-with-a-cream-sauce/