Chicken Piccata Meatballs by Marley Spoon

We have often found foodservice recipes that we would love to make again. Some of the services (Green Chef, for example) make life a bit easier by providing the sauces ready-made in pouches. This deters us from trying to make up our own sauce and reinvent the recipe. It works well with ingredients that might be difficult to find, or expensive to purchase

Marley Spoon doesn't do that, particularly, but instead includes the ingredients which are easy to find. This recipe is one of them and also one that I will repeat often. It's easy, attainable, and delicious! I plan to double this with friends.

Cooking all at the same time, you will need about 15 minutes for cauliflower mash, keeping warm;

6 minutes for broiled green beans in oven;

and about 10 minutes to combine meatball ingredients and cook. Figure out your best process for this by first boiling water, turn on broiler; place 2 T olive oil in a skillet.

If preferred, cook the cauliflower mash first, keeping warm. Cook chicken and then sauce, keeping warm; and then broil green beans. Plate and serve.

Ingredients:

Cauliflower Mash: 1/2 head of cauliflower broken into florets, simmered in boiling water until tender (about 15 minutes) and 3 oz of mascarpone cheese, at room temperature plus some salt and pepper

Broiled green beans:  T olive oil; salt and pepper; 1/2 pound green beans, whole but trimmed

Meatballs: 10 ounces of ground chicken; 1/2 shallot, finely (chopped in two equal amounts and 1/2 saved for sauce); 1 large egg; 3/4 oz grated parmesan (can be finely grated or roughly grated); salt and pepper.

Sauce: 1/2 shallot, finely (chopped in two equal amounts and 1/2 saved from meatballs); 1 lemon, zested and juiced (leave a small bit unjuiced for garnish);  1 packet of chicken broth concentrate with 1/2 cup water or 1/2+ cup broth; 1 oz. capers, whole and 2 T butter

Make cauliflower mash:

Mash the softened, cooked and DRAINED cauliflower with salt and pepper and the mascarpone cheese. Leave in warm pan and cover. 

Make meatballs:

Place the grated parmesan, ground chicken, half of the shallot, 1 large egg, 1/2 tsp. salt and a few grinds of pepper into a bowl and stir to combine. In skillet and 2 T olive oil, and using a small ice cream scoop, drop 8-10 scoops into the skillet. Cook on medium a few minutes each side, preferably getting a crispy side on top and bottom. It does not have to be fully cooked. Take out of the skillet and place on separate plate. Scrape any bits on the bottom of the pan.

Broil green beans:

Mix the beans with about 1 T. olive oil and generous pinches of salt and pepper and place on grilling pan or cookie sheet (use foil or parchment for easier cleanup. Broil until lightly charred about 5 min., watching carefully!

Cook sauce:

Add remaining 1/2 of the shallot to the meatball skillet for 2-3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup broth, lemon zest, juice and capers. Bring sauce to a simmer and cook meatballs, basting with sauce about 3-5 min. Add 2 T. butter.

Serve chicken and sauce over the cauliflower mash with beans on the side, and garnish of lemon if desired.