All is good on the meatball front. I am able to produce a well-seasoned meatball that is soft on the tooth and holds together well when poached in tomato sauce.
When cooked in the oven they tend to flatten on the bottom, form a crust and dry out a bit. I could try a more sophisticated approach to this, but as I like them poached in the sauce I may just stop cooking them in the oven.
I tried frying one batch. It was a soft mix and probably not well-suited to the method. As you don’t actually need to brown them before poaching I’m going to avoid the frying pan in future.
After an unsatisfactory encounter with Boodles – spiralised butternut squash noodles – I’m glad to report that the courgetti spaghetti was far better in both taste and texture. The problem, apart from the cost (£1 for a small portion) is that they release a lot of water, which doesn’t look great on the plate.
I can’t immediately think of a way round this, though I will try dropping the lot into hot oil next time, not heating it gradually. I will also look at a selection of dishes where the extra water won’t be a problem.
Does anyone have an answer to this problem?
Next stop, bean burgers.