1large oniongrated. Keep the juices. I usually go for red onions.
2clovesgarlic minced.
1cupfresh spearmint leaves finely chopped.
1cupfresh parsley finely chopped.
½cupfresh oregano leaves roughly chopped
2tbspextra virgin olive oil
1teaspoonground cumin
1tbspdried oregano
1tablespoondried spearmintor mint
2eggs
1tbspred wine vinegar
1tablespoonred chili flakes
1shot ouzo or 1-2 tsp ground aniseed. Optional.
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
For frying
1/2cupall purpose flour
Extra light olive oil or sunflower oil
Instructions
Soak the bread in the milk. Carefully squish the bread so most of the milk is out.
In a large bowl, add the bread and all the other ingredients—season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Add the ouzo shot or 1-2 tsp ground aniseed. Mix everything and knead well until the mixture is moist and fluffy.
Cover with a towel and leave in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to allow all the flavors to incorporate together well.
Spread some flour on a plate. Use a small ice-cream scooper or a spoon or your hand and take about 2 tbsp of the mixture and shape it into a ball. Run ball in the flour, shake off the excess, and place on a clean surface until all your meatballs are ready for frying.
In a deep frying pan, add enough oil to cover 2/3 of the pan. Turn the heat on to medium-high. When the oil is hot, fry the meatballs (in small doses), about 2-3 minutes tops on each side, until golden brown. Remove from heat and arrange them on absorbent paper to drain the excess oil.
Notes
I suggest mincing the onion pretty well. I use my food processor because my knife skills are not perfect for dicing veggies really small. You can also grate it on the large holes of a coarse grater.
If you don't have ouzo, substitute with 1-2 tsp ground anise seeds or ground star anise. If none are available, omit them altogether.
You can use breadcrumbs if you don't have bread; add about 1/2 cup of milk to increase the mix's moisture. You can substitute ground pork with ground sausage, like a sweet Italian or hot Italian ground sausage to give a nice kick to the meatballs.
If you have ground turkey, use the same ingredients apart from the bread. Substitute with 1/2 to 1 cup breadcrumbs (depending on how wet the ground turkey is) and add 1 tbsp ground coriander to the mixture.
Nutritional Info – Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided is only an estimate and can vary based on the products used.