This is another great weeknight one-pot dish featuring chicken meatballs. The bright and tangy sauce was a lovely complement. I loved that it was loaded with dill.
The recipe was adapted from The New York Times, contributed by Ali Slagle. I swapped Israeli pearl couscous for the orzo and incorporated kohlrabi and cauliflower greens. We ate roasted broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi, and turnips on the side. Healthy and fabulous.
I may brown the meatballs next time before adding the couscous to the pot.
Yield: 4 servings (12 meatballs)
- 1 1/2 cups (about 3 oz) loosely packed chopped dill (including tender stems), plus more for garnish
- 1 cup full-fat Greek yogurt
- 2 large garlic cloves, pushed through a garlic press or finely grated
- 1 lemon, zested and halved
- 1 pound ground turkey or chicken
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- Diamond Crystal Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 T unsalted butter
- 1 cup Israeli pearl couscous, orzo, or rice
- 3 anchovy fillets
- 4 to 5 cups chopped escarole, spinach, mustard greens, baby kale, or other greens (about 3-4 ounces)(I also incorporated kohlrabi and cauliflower greens)
- In a medium bowl, stir together the dill, yogurt, garlic and lemon zest.
- Transfer 1/2 cup of the yogurt to a large bowl, along with the ground meat, fennel seeds, and 1 teaspoon salt; mix lightly with your hands to combine.
- Use a large cookie scoop to ration the mixture into 12 meatballs. Gently roll into 12 meatballs and place on a plate. Place in the refrigerator. (You can also make the meatballs ahead and refrigerate for up to an hour ahead.)
- To the remaining yogurt in the medium bowl, squeeze in the juice from the lemon, then season to taste with salt until flavorful and slightly puckery. Place in the refrigerator.
- In a medium skillet, melt the butter over medium. (I used an enameled cast iron skillet with a lid.)
- (At this point- consider browning the meatballs first.) Add the couscous (or orzo or rice), anchovies and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper; stir until the couscous is golden, 2 to 4 minutes.
- Add 1 1/2 cups water if using couscous (or up to 2 1/2 cups of water if using orzo or rice) and bring to a boil over medium-high.
- Reduce to a simmer over medium-low, then add the meatballs in a single layer. Cover and cook without stirring until the couscous is tender and the meatballs are cooked through, 12 to 14 minutes.
- If excess liquid needs to be cooked off at this point, remove the meatballs from the pot. Cook the couscous over medium heat until the desired consistency is achieved and excess liquid has been removed, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Remove the meatballs if you skipped the last step. Turn off the heat, add the greens on top and season with salt and pepper.
- Cover the skillet and let sit until the greens are wilted, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Stir to incorporate, taste and season with salt and pepper.
- Return the meatballs to the pot.
- Garnish with dill and serve with the yogurt sauce, as desired.
thebrookcook 