Chicken Parmesan Meatballs Spinach and White Beans
The kitchen looked more like a garden shed, there was no refrigerator, or sink and all I could see was a wok in the corner. What on earth was I going to cook?
Years ago I was  travelling through Jogjakata, Indonesia, with a friend. It was not as cosmopolitan then as it may be now and we were fresh off the plane. We struggled in the the heat, to find somewhere to eat on our first day (there was no Internet in the olden days – before you ask). Throwing caution to the wind we saw a small restaurant, it looked clean, had plastic table clothes and cutlery, big pots of chilli on the tables and a fridge full of cold drinks down the back. There was no menu so we helplessly tried to sign language ” we’re gonna die if you don’t feed us”  to order when a lady sitting at a table beside us suddenly piped up, “This is Nasi Campur, no menu  you just eat what they cook. They give you rice and may be two or three different dishes, simple. You want?”
This lovely lady spoke perfect English and was on holiday from the maternity hospital where she worked and was in fact the Midwife and Matron. The hospital was an hour outside Jogjakarta, and by the time we finished dinner she had talked us into going out to the countryside to visit her. Apparently the women  became bored while waiting for their babies to be born and it would be very exciting for them to have visitors. The price of a nights accommodation?. Well that would be ME cooking dinner!.  She was beside herself with excitement that she would get to try Western Food. And so, here I was in front of the kitchen. OMG.
“So”, she said breezing into the kitchen
“What western foods will you make. You want a chicken? I got chicken, just killed, now plucking.” she said drawing a finger across her neck and then imitating feather pulling.
Note, to reader, there was no shops. We were literally in the middle of now where. As it turned out, it wasn’t so much a hospital as a safe house. The girls were bored because they were being hidden from public view until the birth of their babies. Besides this they didn’t speak English and were mostly very shy.
There was not much to work with. The garden had herbs and some sweet potato- like yams, eshallots, garlic, tomatoes and leafy green “kang kong” spinach. There were fresh beanshoots, not such a western ingredient, but I was stumped.  The chicken was fresh as a daisy but no matter how I tried I couldn’t think of a way to roast it western style with only a wok. Roast chicken and sweet potatoes just seemed so western in my head and I got stuck. I figured they probably didn’t really know what was western anyway and as long as it was different to what they ate every day,  anything would please them.  So this is what I did. I whacked that chicken onto the bench and pretty much deboned it leaving only drumsticks and wings in tact, cutting it into serving size pieces. I guessed that they pretty much always cooked chicken on the bone, so this might be a change. I used garlic and coriander with tomato to make a sauce base, added terasi ( local  fish paste) and sugar and simmered the chicken in this and finished it with chopped coriander- not too saucy not too foreign but different enough. I lightly steam blanched  the sweet potatoes in a pot over coals before deep frying them. I served the kang kong leaves fresh with bean shoots and finely diced washed eshallots and a coddled egg dressing made with garlic, oil and lemon in the mortar and pestle. Done.
How I wish I had thought of this simple chicken dish. I didn’t have parmesan but I am sure I could have used some cold rice as a binder with egg. This is an Emma Knowles recipe from Gourmet magazine, that I have just tweaked a little. I also saw George Colombaris do a similar one too this week. Â Needless to say it is very quick and leaves quite an impression. It could become a weeknight runaway success.
Chicken Parmesan Meatballs Spinach and White Beans
Ingredients
- 500 gm chicken mince
- 60 gm Parmesan cheese grated
- 50 gm breadcrumbs preferably fresh or panko
- 1 beaten egg
- 1 tablespoon chopped thyme
The beans
- 750 ml chicken stock
- 60 ml olive oil 3 Tablespoons
- 100 gm onion finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic
- 400 gm cannelini beans 1 can drained pre-cooked
- 150 gm spinach cooked frozen or use a bunch of fresh picked
- 100 gm red capsicum very finely diced
- 1 Tablespoon Thyme finely chopped
- 25 gm parmesan Extra for serving
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients for the meatballs, adding a pinch of salt. Roll into walnut sized balls, setting aside till all of the meat is rolled.
- Bring the stock to simmer in a medium sized pot that is not too wide, so the meatballs are covered with the stock. Simmer 4-6 minutes till they are cooked and are firm to touch. Spoon them out and set aside.
- Using another pot warm the oil and add the onion, garlic, capsicum and thyme and gently sweat till softened. Add the remaining poaching stock to the onions and simmer till reduced by nearly half. (There will be about 1 cup to 1 1/2 cups of stock remaining)
- Add the beans, chicken and spinach and simmer till they are all warmed through ( if you are using fresh spinach this will still be the same.
- Finish the dish with extra parmesan ( 2 tablespoons, or sprinkle on when serving). This can be served with pasta, barley or fregola, or just bread and salad
Have you ever been put on the spot….cooking wise?
Tania, I have never tried using chicken mince before but now I am inspired to! Thank you 🙂
Tandy recently posted..Waiting For Wednesday, Nicci French
This looks perfect for a winter meal and simple to make too and thanks for another great story.
lizzie – strayed from the table recently posted..Farm Life: 15th July, Keeping Busy
I’m just racking my brains with how to do a roast chicken in a wok. If you had a long time you might be able to smoke it but I think these meatballs are a much more practical solution! 😀
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella recently posted..Sunday Baking: Ricotta and Herb Bread
I have a real thing for white beans at the moment, this sounds absolutely delicious.
Thanks for sharing 🙂
GourmetGetaways recently posted..An Evening with Grant Burge
Well done you! I tend to panic when put on the spot like that, but you rose to the occasion splendidly!
Amanda recently posted..Lunenburg, Nova Scotia – a UNESCO Heritage Site
I bet I would have panicked for a few minutes Tania! You did a fantastic job given the circumstances and I bet the ladies loved it. Your meatballs sound yummy too and the beans would be such a nice base xox
InTolerant Chef recently posted..Peanut Butter Choc Chip Skillet Cookie
What an incredible story, Tania! I give you credit for taking on the challenge, for not only did you have to cook dinner, you had to do it in completely alien surroundings. That’s not an easy thing to do. This sounds like a delicious dish that you’ve posted today, one that I’m sure I’d enjoy. Thanks for sharing both, the story and recipe.
I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall when you saw the kitchen and started mumbling under your breath. Sounds like you sorted it out in fine fashion.
These meatballs sounds marvy.
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef recently posted..Shepherd’s Pie
Chicken meatballs with good old Parm….must be very tasty.
Angie@Angie’s Recipes recently posted..Gluten Free Chocolate Tofu Tartlets with Cherry Compote
What a wonderful story! Did the local pregnant women enjoy your special ‘Western’ chicken dish?
I’d love to do that for a local community. Travelling is not always about visiting the hot spots, it’s about these wonderful encounters with the locals, staying with them and eating together. Fabulous.
I’ve never actually cooked with chicken mince before, I don’t know why it scares me so much. You make this look so easy and uncomplicated.
Those beans are real soulfood at this cold time of year . . . love your story: hard cooking without a Masterchef pantry 😉 !
What delicious looking chicken meatballs!
yummychunklet recently posted..Headed to Sonoma and San Francisco…Help!
You’ve had the most amazing experiences Tania. I’d like to see the Masterchef contestants compete in a challenge like that. Love the look of these meatballs!
Claire @ Claire K Creations recently posted..In my new kitchen – July 2013
What an interesting time. Amazing how she thought you could whip up a western meal with a wok! And the only ingredient that sounds western to me is the chicken! I love the look of your meatballs and yes, this could become a family favourite xx
Hotly Spiced recently posted..A Holiday in Mittagong