Lemon Rosemary Turkey Meatballs- Conflicted Chef

I know I promised this recipe about a month ago, but I they are worth the wait!
When my daughter, Em, decided to make these I had visions of dry turkey meatballs that no one would like. In fact, sometimes with my husband we have to hide the fact that he is eating ground turkey, instead of ground beef. I’m not sure why, but my Dad is the same way. Real men eat beef and not turkey, unless it is Thanksgiving seems to be the battle cry. So we are constantly sneaking in ground turkey and then when they like it we declare, “Victory”! Actually, my girls and I have found this whole game fun and try to fool them whenever we can. Sometimes it works, sometimes not. But it is always entertaining.
So without further ado here is the recipe we adapted from Eating Well:

• 1 medium onion, minced
• 2 large cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
• 2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 pound 93%-lean ground turkey
• 3/4 cup fresh whole-wheat breadcrumbs
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more to taste
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (or substitute more chicken broth)
• 1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 4 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon butter

1. Place onion, garlic and lemon zest in a food processor. Add 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary (or 1 teaspoon dried) and pulse just until the mixture is finely and evenly chopped (but not mushy).
2. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and gently mix in turkey, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper until combined. Use a generous 2 tablespoons each to shape the mixture into 12 meatballs (about 1 1/2 inches in diameter). Place flour in a shallow dish and roll the meatballs in it to lightly coat. (Reserve the remaining flour.)
3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium, add meatballs and cook, turning once, until brown, 3 to 5 minutes total. Transfer to a plate.
4. Add wine (or 1/2 cup broth) to the pan, increase heat to medium-high and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until almost evaporated, 1 to 3 minutes. Add the can of broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and return the meatballs to the pan along with the remaining 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary (or 1/4 teaspoon dried). Cover and cook until the meatballs are cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the meatballs to a serving bowl.
5. Bring the sauce to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until reduced to 1 cup, 4 to 8 minutes. Whisk lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of the reserved flour in a small bowl (discard any remaining flour); whisking constantly, add the flour mixture to the sauce along with butter and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Simmer, whisking, until slightly thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve. Serve the sauce over the meatballs.

We served this over rice and with our Asparagus with Lemon Zest and Pine Nuts.

I think it would be yummy served over whole wheat noodles or pearl couscous as well. Em wasn’t thrilled with the gravy. I think when we make this again we will try to tweak the gravy to make it thicker. I thought it had a  delicious flavor, she felt it was too runny.

My family gave it 3 smiles and 2 so so’s, because of the gravy.

Do you like to sneak turkey into your menu?

Happy Eating,
The Conflicted Chef