**Boulettes Francaise: A Classic French Dish with a Creamy Twist**
Boulettes Francaise, also known as French meatballs, is a classic French dish that combines tender, flavorful meatballs in a creamy, decadent white sauce. This dish is a delightful symphony of textures and flavors that offers a delightful culinary experience. The meatballs, made from a mixture of ground beef, pork, and veal, are seasoned with a blend of aromatic herbs and spices, resulting in a juicy, succulent core. These meatballs are then gently simmered in a rich, velvety white sauce, infused with the essence of butter, flour, and milk, creating a creamy and flavorful embrace. Boulettes Francaise is typically served with mashed potatoes, rice, or pasta, providing a perfect canvas for the delectable sauce to shine. This article presents three variations of this classic dish: the traditional Boulettes Francaise, a modern rendition with sun-dried tomatoes and spinach, and a vegetarian Boulettes Francaise, demonstrating the versatility and adaptability of this timeless recipe.
NORTH AFRICAN MEATBALLS (BOULETTES)
In France, meatballs are called boulettes (sounds better than meatballs), and by far the favorite versions are the spice-scented North African type. Most of the neighborhood Tunisian and Moroccan restaurants in Paris offer them, served as an appetizer or a side, or in a fragrant main-course tagine with couscous. In Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria, former French colonies, that's what they're called, too, at least on tourist menus; they also go by numerous other names in local languages. Jewish communities in those countries traditionally serve boulettes on Friday night for the Sabbath meal. Assorted sweet spices, along with chopped cilantro and parsley, are added to minced lamb or goat, then formed into delicate little balls. Simmered in a saffron-scented broth, they are usually accompanied by stewed seasonal vegetables.
Provided by JackieOhNo
Categories Lamb/Sheep
Time 1h15m
Yield 4-6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 33
Steps:
- Make the sauce: Heat oil over medium-high heat in a wide, heavy bottomed saucepan. Add onion and cook without browning until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, tomato paste, cinnamon and saffron, and stir well to incorporate. Season generously with salt and pepper, and allow to sizzle for 1 minute more. Add broth and simmer gently for 5 minutes. May be made several hours in advance, up to a day.
- Make the meatballs: Put bread cubes and milk in a small bowl. Leave bread to soak until softened, about 5 minutes, then squeeze dry.
- In a mixing bowl, put squeezed-out bread, ground meat and egg. Add salt, pepper, garlic, nutmeg, ginger, turmeric, paprika, cayenne, cloves, coriander and cumin. Mix well with hands to distribute seasoning. Add 2 tablespoons each of parsley, cilantro and scallion, and knead for a minute. May be prepared several hours in advance, up to a day.
- With hands, roll mixture into small round balls about the size of a quarter. Dust balls lightly with flour. Heat a few tablespoons of oil, or a quarter-inch depth, over medium-high heat and fry meatballs until barely browned, about 2 minutes per side. Drain and blot on paper towel. Simmer meatballs in saffron-tomato sauce, covered, over medium heat for about 20 minutes, until tender. Meanwhile, make the couscous, if desired: Cook according to package directions, fluff gently and stir in butter and raisins. Season with salt and cinnamon, and toss well.
- Garnish meatballs with remaining parsley, cilantro and scallion. Serve with couscous and roasted tomatoes if desired.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 753.8, Fat 35.4, SaturatedFat 13.6, Cholesterol 147.4, Sodium 1478.8, Carbohydrate 71.3, Fiber 5.9, Sugar 15.9, Protein 37.7
BOULETTES
AKA meatballs in white sauce. This is an old recipe, a variation of which was made in most Canadian homes. Every housewife had her own particular way of preparing this recipe. It was a dish that pleased the family and one that is recalled with fondness. Posted for Zaar World Tour II.
Provided by Elmotoo
Categories Meat
Time 35m
Yield 4 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- Mix meat and seasonings. Shape into 1 inch meatballs.
- Put enough water in saucepan that the meatballs will be covered. Bring to a boil.
- Add 1 meatball at a time so water does not stop boiling.
- Cook until liquid is reduced to about 1c - about 30 minutes.
- Whisk in flour to thicken and reseason to taste. Should you overthicken, just add more water to desired consistency.
- Serve over rice or noodles or by itself.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 242.2, Fat 11.6, SaturatedFat 4.7, Cholesterol 73.7, Sodium 77, Carbohydrate 9.2, Fiber 0.9, Sugar 1.2, Protein 23.9
BOULETTES WITH WHITE SAUCE (MEATBALLS)
This is another of Great Grandma Kennedy's recipes. From when she was a child living in Canada. This is made for lunch or dinner. It can also be made with ground pork sausage for a breakfast meal. *** Feel free to add or remove spices to your taste... (I like a little more cloves, pepper and poultry seasoning.
Provided by Colleen Sowa
Categories Other Sauces
Time 1h10m
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- 1. Mix together the spices and ground beef. Shape into 1-inch diameter balls. Fill large sauce pan with enough water that will be enough to cover the meatballs, but do not put them in yet!
- 2. Bring water to a rolling boil. Put one meatball into the pot at a time to keep the water boiling. When all the meatballs are added to the pot, keep boiling an additional 1/2 hour until the meatballs are almost white.
- 3. After cooking meatballs for 15 minutes, add the chopped onions to the pot.
- 4. Add the butter to the pot. Mix the flour and milk together and slowly add to the pot, stirring constantly until the sauce is thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- 5. *** Serve over biscuits, noodles or rice.
BOULETTES
AKA meatballs in white sauce. This is an old recipe, a variation of which was made in most Canadian homes. Every housewife had her own particular way of preparing this recipe. It was a dish that pleased the family and one that is recalled with fondness. Posted for Zaar World Tour II. Resubmitted for Culinary Quest 2.
Provided by Beth Renzetti
Categories Meat Appetizers
Time 35m
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- 1. Mix meat and seasonings. Shape into 1 inch meatballs.
- 2. Put enough water in saucepan that the meatballs will be covered. Bring to a boil.
- 3. Add 1 meatball at a time so water does not stop boiling.
- 4. Cook until liquid is reduced to about 1c - about 30 minutes.
- 5. Whisk in flour to thicken and reseason to taste. Should you overthicken, just add more water to desired consistency.
- 6. Serve over rice or noodles or by itself.
MEATBALLS IN WHITE SAUCE
I recently adopted this recipe and prepared it with a few slight changes. The meatballs are very basic, and if you desired, you could jazz them up with additional seasoning. The original recipe included 2 cans of cream of mushroom soup, but I thought that might be a little bland. Instead, I tried the cream of celery and really liked the bit of added flavor. We served this over wide egg noodles and with steamed green beans for a great comfort meal, but the meatballs would also be good over mashed potatoes, or even served with toothpicks as an appetizer. I like that the meatballs can be made ahead of time, and dropped into the heating sauce at meal time.
Provided by Ms B.
Categories Meat
Time 50m
Yield 4-6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- For Meatballs-Mix all meatball ingredients together, make into tsp size balls, and place on cookie sheet.
- Bake at 350F for 25 minutes (I usually start preparing the sauce about 15 minutes into the meatballs baking).
- Drain.
- For Sauce-Mix soup, milk, and nutmeg in saucepan and stir until all mixed together; add meatballs and heat to boiling, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Stir in sour cream and heat through.
Tips:
- Mise en Place: Before you start cooking, make sure you have all your ingredients and equipment ready. This will help you stay organized and efficient in the kitchen.
- Use Fresh Ingredients: The quality of your ingredients will greatly impact the flavor of your meatballs. Use fresh, high-quality ingredients whenever possible.
- Season Well: Don't be afraid to season your meatballs liberally. A good balance of salt, pepper, and herbs will help create flavorful meatballs.
- Don't Overmix: Overmixing the meatball mixture can make the meatballs tough. Mix just until the ingredients are combined.
- Brown the Meatballs: Browning the meatballs before simmering them in the sauce helps develop flavor and prevents them from falling apart.
- Use a Good Quality White Sauce: The white sauce is an important part of this dish. Make sure to use a good quality white sauce that is flavorful and creamy.
- Serve Hot: Meatballs are best served hot. You can keep them warm in a slow cooker or in a chafing dish.
Conclusion:
Boulettes Francaise is a classic French dish that is sure to impress your guests. With its tender meatballs, creamy white sauce, and flavorful herbs, this dish is a perfect comfort food. Whether you serve it as an appetizer, main course, or party food, Boulettes Francaise is sure to be a hit.
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