Chicken Meatlballs in Pojarski Sauce
(serves 8)
for the meatballs:
about 2 lbs/1 kg chicken breasts (about 8 small half-breasts), boneless and skinless
about 1 1/2 cups/350 ml milk
about 1 1/2 cup/80g Panko breadcrumbs
1 tbsp Fox Point (or other savory) seasoning
good grind fresh black pepper
for the sauce:
3 tbsps butter
1 tbsp flour (more later if needed to thicken sauce)
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
1 1/2 tbsp paprika
as much fresh thyme leaves as you like
about 1/3 cup/90ml brandy
1 cup/275ml chicken stock
1 cup/275 ml sour cream (half-fat yields best results)
good grind fresh black pepper
The measurements for the meatballs are variable by the size of the chicken fillets and by how “wet” you like your meatball mix. I like to get the mix as wet as possible but still able to be formed into balls. Trim the chicken breasts completely of any fat, gristle, tendons. They must be supremely perfect for this dish. Now place them in your Magimix or Cuisinart and pulse carefully until the chicken is finely minced. Not mushy, but finely chopped.
Mix the milk, breadcrumbs and seasonings in a medium bowl, then add the chicken. With clean hands, squish together all these ingredients until you can see that the chicken is thoroughly mixed with the breadcrumbs and the seasonings are well-distributed. The mixture should be as wet as you can reasonably handle. Add more milk if necessary to achieve this very fragile, wet mixture. Set mixture aside.
Now make the sauce, because you will poach the meatballs in it. In a large (at least 12 inches) shallow frying pan or paella pan, melt the butter, add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for a minute. Then add the garlic and shallots and saute until soft. Sprinkle on the paprika and fresh thyme and cook for a minute or so. Deglaze the pan with the brandy and cook for two minutes rather high, stirring as the brandy evaporates. Add the chicken stock and sour cream and begin stirring with a wire whisk. Simmer and season with black pepper to taste. Be careful of the seasoning as this sauce (and the meatballs) can be deceptively salty depending on the seasonings with the chicken and the flavors of the stock.
When the sauce is thoroughly mixed and hot, carefully make meatballs the size of golfballs and drop them gently into the simmering sauce. Try to maintain a single layer, but if you cannot, poach the first layer for several minutes until the meatballs can be moved carefully, then fit in the extra meatballs. Poach at a low simmer for about five minutes, then turn each meatball carefully, coating them in the sauce. Poach a further five minutes. Taste to make sure chicken is thoroughly cooked. At this point you may take the pan off the heat and leave it for the flavors to develop. Heat through when you are ready to eat. Serve with noodles.
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