Gordon Ramsay's Ultimate Cookery Course - Pork and Prawn Meatballs in Aromatic Broth

Spaghetti and meatballs, it's alway been one of my favourite comfort foods. That's why I was intrigued by this recipe. Is it possible to make a tasty meal using meatballs and a light fragrant broth that delivers the same kind of warmth and level of flavour as my old standby? Apparently it is. The combination of the pork and prawns in the meatballs really suits the star anise, and the spinach gives the whole meal a bit more substance without making it too heavy.

I did make a couple of slight alterations. Along with the spring onions, I added some coriander leaves and thinly sliced red chilli to the garnish and a bit of bread on the side. The coriander was a good idea, but I don't think I would bother with the chilli in future as the ginger provides enough heat without becoming overpowering. As for the amounts, where the recipe called for 1-2 tsp oyster sauce and soy sauce, I opted for 2 of both. Maybe sometimes less is more, but the final result seemed to work.

Also, in the ongoing saga of attempting to balance out my impatience with the ridiculous amount of time it takes for the heating element on our stove-top to reach the right temperature, I should've browned the meatballs more. Over and over again I've read that a common mistake in cooking is not having the confidence to get a frying pan hot enough. I'm starting to understand a bit more what that really means though, so here's hoping  I learn some patience.
One final thing, the chopping of the prawns is really important. If they aren't chopped finely enough the meatballs won't hold together but if you chop them too finely I think the flavour of the prawns would be spread too thin and the texture of the meaballs would suffer.
Here it is, warts and all.

Ingredients:
100g raw prawns, peeled and deveined
250g raw minced pork
1 1/2 tbsp finely chopped chives
1.5 cm piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and diced
Flavourless oil, e.g. groundnut, for frying
2 big handfulls of spinach **
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 spring onion, trimmed and finely sliced, to garnish

For the Broth Base:
1 litre chicken or fish stock, home-made or from stock cubes*
2 whole star anise
1-2 tsp oyster sauce, to taste
1-2 tsp soy sauce, to taste
2cm piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and chopped


Notes:
*  I used fish stock. However it was pre-made 
** I don't think I'd use big handfulls unless you have really small hands. Unfortunately I put in a bit too much spinach, which I then had to cook for slightly longer than what I should've in order for it to all fit. As far as taste goes though, it worked really well.

1. Finely chop the prawns until almost minced. Place in a bowl with the pork, chives and ginger, season with a good pinch of salt and pepper and mix until the ingredients are well combined and sticking together. Roll the mixture into small balls about 2.5cm wide. Transfer to a place, cover and chill until needed.

2. Meanwhile, make the broth base. Heat the stock in a saucepan, add the other ingredients and mix well. Bring to the boil, lower the hear and gently simmer for 10 minutes to infuse, then taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary. (For a strong broth base, leave the mixture to simmer for longer.)

3. Heat a heavy-based frying pan over a medium head and add a dash of oil. Fry the pork and prawn balls, turning frequently, for 6-7 minutes until golden brown all over. Transfer into the gently simmering pan of broth and leave to cook for 5 minutes until the balls are cooked through. Add the spinach and cook for 1 minute until just wilted.

4. Taste the dish and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Serve garnished with spring onions.

Gordon's Tip
To prepare prawns first twist off the head, then peel off all the shell and pull off the tail. With the tip of a sharp knife, score the prawn along the back and lift out the black vein. Rinse the prepared prawns before using.