Albóndigas in Saffron-Almond Sauce with Picada

Method

1. Tear the bread into small pieces and soak it in the milk for 5 min. Meanwhile, chop the garlic and jamón very finely and pick and finely chop the parsley leaves.

   Add in this stepDay-old white bread, crusts removed 25 gMilk 40 ml

2. Add the beef, pork, jamón, beaten egg (half an egg means beat 1 egg and use half), garlic, most of the parsley, nutmeg, salt and pepper to the bread and mix only until slightly sticky. Fry a pea-sized test piece, taste and adjust the seasoning, then roll 25 g balls with wet hands (≈13 × 25 g). Cover the tray and chill for 30 min; cold meatballs hold their shape when frying.

   Add in this stepMinced beef 125 gMinced pork 100 gJamón serrano, very finely chopped 25 gEgg ½Garlic for the meatballs 1Flat-leaf parsley leaves 1¾ tbspGround nutmeg 1 pinchSalt ½ tspBlack pepper 1 pinch

3. Heat the olive oil in a deep 24 cm pan over medium heat, add the almonds and baguette slices and fry for 2 min, until both are evenly golden, then lift out. Warm the saffron for a few seconds in a dry pan to wake up its aroma, then pound it in a mortar (or mini blender) with the almonds, bread and remaining parsley, loosening with 2 tablespoons of stock to make a thick picada.

   Add in this stepOlive oil (pure) for frying 80 mlBlanched whole almonds 20 gBaguette slices for the picada 15 gFlat-leaf parsley leaves 1¼ tbspSaffron threads 1 pinch

   medium heat

4. Dust the meatballs with flour and tap off the excess. Reheat the same oil over medium-high heat to about 170 °C and add the meatballs without crowding (number of batches: 1×). Fry for 6 min per batch, rolling them, until browned all over, then lift out. Lower them in with a spoon away from you; the oil spits.

   Add in this stepFlour for coating 25 g

   medium-high heat

5. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the very finely chopped onion and garlic and cook slowly over medium-low heat for 14 min, scraping up the browned bits, into a sweet, pale golden sofrito.

   Add in this stepOnion (medium) 1Garlic for the sauce 2

   medium-low heat

6. Move the sofrito to a 22 cm cazuela or wide pot, pour in the wine and let it bubble over medium-high heat for 2 min to cook off the alcohol. Add the stock and bay leaves, settle the meatballs in a single layer, cover and braise over low heat for 15 min. Shake the pot now and then to roll the meatballs rather than poking them with a spoon, which breaks them.

   Add in this stepDry white wine (or fino sherry) 100 mlChicken stock 300 mlBay leaves 1

   medium-high heat→low heat

7. Remove the bay leaves, add the picada and shake the pot to blend it in, then simmer uncovered over low heat for 5 min, until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Cut a meatball open to check it is no longer pink inside (71 °C), season with salt and serve in the cazuela with crusty bread.

   Add in this stepSalt for the sauce to taste

   low heat