Venison Meat Balls

One of the other products I picked up while I was last at Sunnyfields Farm Shop & Market was a pack of venison meat balls. I opted to cook these in the simplest way I could (my regular readers might spot a trend here!), which was to pan fry them and serve them with a rich tomato and herb sauce. Pan fry on a medium heat, turning occasionally until cooked through (the juices should run clear when they are cooked, but I prefer to cut one in half just to check - you can always cover this one with plenty of sauce so that no one can see!).

To make the sauce, heat some oil in a heavy-base sauce pan, then add a finely chopped onion and fry until soft. Add three cloves of garlic, finely sliced and a generous measure of finely chopped basil and parsely. I tend to use dried herbs, but I am hoping to start growning my own once the weather starts to get a bit warmer. Season with freshly ground black pepper and continue to fry, stiring often, for another minute or so. Add a tin of chopped tomatos. At this time of the year, there are no British tomatos available and the tinned variety offer an excellent way of getting a good, solid tomato flavour into food. Go for the highest quality ones you can, the own-brand ones can be OK, but they tend to be more acidic than the slightly more expensive varieties. Add a generous measure of soy sauce, cover and simmer gently. Leave to simmer for about 10 - 15 minutes. The soy sauce should add enough salt, but taste the sauce as it's cooking and add more if you feel it needs it.

I served my venison meat balls with the tomato sauce and peas on a bed of pasta.