Glazed and Confused

A few days ago I found myself roaming the aisles of H-E-B like a crazy person, trying to figure out what to make for dinner. I had called Caufield to ask what he would prefer to eat, but he was preoccupied with some activity or another, so he said to let my inspiration run wild.

Great. Very helpful, Caufield.


So there I was, lost in the 5:00 grocery store bustle, confused and slightly frustrated. I had managed to get jostled into the aisle with all the jams and jellies, and just when I thought I'd never figure out what to make, my eyes lit upon a bright red beacon -- a jar of Central Market morello cherry preserves. I had a jolt of inspiration which rocked me to the core...kind of like Phoebe's prophetic visions on Charmed, but without the unfortunate '90s hair. My visions were filled with tender turkey meatballs dressed with a cherry balsamic glaze. I'm pretty sure I squealed audibly with excitement (but, as we established in the first sentence of this post, I am a crazy person).

I used to be wary of ground turkey, since its leanness quite often makes for a dry and unpalatable experience. A few weeks ago, though, I found a fantastic recipe for turkey burgers that included Dijon mustard in the turkey. They ended up being some of the most mouth-watering burgers I've tasted.

I adapted the turkey burger recipe by adding breadcrumbs and an egg, and then reduced some good balsamic vinegar with sugar and a generous dollop of the cherry preserves. I am of the opinion that there are few things in life as luxurious as a thick, fragrant fruit glaze on meat. Makes me feel like a Viking or something.

 

(Caufield's a spiffy photographer, isn't he?)

Would you look at that?! And the best part is, it's easy! To add some green on the plate, I made a simple salad of mesclun greens, praline pecans, green apple, and some Earl Grey cheddar I'd picked up earlier that day from Antonelli's Cheese Shop. If you ever find yourself here in Austin, DO go to Antonelli's. It is simply marvelous, and the people there are so friendly (and generous with the samples).

Turkey Meatballs with Balsamic Cherry Glaze

Serves 4

for the meatballs

1 lb ground turkey

1 small white onion, diced
1 egg

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

Pinch of salt

Ground pepper

for the glaze

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup cherry preserves

2 tablespoons sugar

Preheat oven to 400º. Lightly grease a baking sheet. Combine ingredients in a bowl and form into 1 1/2-inch balls (I ended up with 16 meatballs). Place on greased baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.

While the meatballs are in the oven, combine the sugar, vinegar, and preserves in a saucepan and bring to a boil, then bring the heat down to a simmer. Stir the glaze occasionally, and take off heat once it has reduced to about half. Drizzle meatballs generously, and prepare to bask in the glow of your guests' many compliments.