After reading a rave review of a banh mi meatball recipe on Bon Appétit‘s website, I decided to try it for myself. Wow, yum!! The original recipe called for pork, but the reviewer swapped in ground turkey. I went one step further and reduced the meat, adding some grated zucchini instead. The result is more like mini burgers than meatballs with the turkey and zucchini instead of pork, but don’t be alarmed—they still taste really good. Andrew has eaten this dish four times in three days, which means he definitely approves! You can serve them banh-mi-style in a roll (see the original recipe for instructions on that) or do like I did and serve them on a rice bowl. Here’s what I put in mine:
black rice, purple daikon radish, home-fermented cabbage-carrot-turmeric kraut, avocado, Sriracha, cilantro, scallion
I think they would also be good on a cold rice noodle salad, like this one from Food52. I love the addition of the grated zucchini so much in this recipe that I may try adding some grated veggies to burgers as well! I think it lightens up the texture in a really great way (or should I say a really grate way—he he), and I’m always happy to work in some extra vegetables to my meals whenever I can.
On a totally different note, have you seen the Mr. Rogers movie, Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, yet? Andrew and I just got MoviePass, and we used it to see that movie last week. It was so sweet and touching. I cried a lot and would highly recommend the film! Tonight we’re trying out an oyster bar on a boat: Grand Banks. I’ll let you know how it goes.* (*It looked beautifully, sophisticatedly nautical, but I got a little seasick and didn’t make it to the oysters. Try at your own risk.) Actually, starting soon, I’m going to be writing a new “Friday Favorites” entry from time to time so I can tell you all about the things I’m excited about—stay tuned! Have a great week, everyone, and I hope you enjoy this recipe!
Turkey-Zucchini “Banh-Meatballs”
- 3/4 lb ground turkey
- 1 small zucchini, grated (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 3 scallions, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp fish sauce
- 1 Tbsp Sriracha
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- black pepper
- 2-4 Tbsp neutral-flavored oil like avocado or sunflower oil
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. In a large bowl, use your hands to gently mix together all ingredients except the oil until just combined. Form the mixture into meatballs about 1 1/2 inches in diameter and place on the parchment. Line a large plate with paper towels and set aside.
- In a large skillet (preferably nonstick), heat a few tablespoons of oil (enough to completely cover the surface of the pan) over medium heat. Working in batches, add meatballs to the pan with a bit of space in between them. Cover and cook, turning several times, until browned on all sides and cooked through, about 15 minutes. Set meatballs on the paper-towel-lined plate to drain the excess oil. Add a bit more oil to the pan and cook the next batch. If you like, you can keep the first batch warm in a 300º oven until the next batch is ready.
lofigourmet.com 