Hot dinner: Smokin' bacon balls

Jez Felwick runs a grass covered street food van called The Bowler, from which he sells gourmet meatballs, fish balls and veg balls at markets and events in London. Felwick learnt to cook at the organic farm and cookery school Ballymaloe near Cork before discovering the ‘food truck’ scene on a trip to the US which inspired the launch of The Bowler.

Here is the first of five featured recipes from his new book The Bowler's Meatball Cookbook (£16.99, Mitchell Beazley, out now)

SMOKIN' BACON BALLS

Serves 5–6; preparation time 20 minutes; cooking time 30 minutes

There were four hours to go before I was expected at a private party Richard Bacon was throwing in his back garden, for which I’d been asked to do the food. Exciting stuff. I had some chuck steak in the fridge along with some smoked lardons. ‘Rude not to’, I thought, turning the oven on. Preheat the oven to 220ºC (425ºF), Gas Mark 7 and line 2 large baking trays with non-stick baking parchment. If you don’t have two trays, you will need to cook the balls in batches.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

200g oak-smoked bacon lardons

150g breadcrumbs

2 free-range eggs

100ml double cream

200g ricotta cheese

750g beef chuck steak, minced

150g Applewood smoked Cheddar,

coarsely grated

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons chopped

flat-leaf parsley

Heat the oil in a large heavy-based pan. Add the bacon lardons and cook on a medium heat for 5 minutes, or until they are crispy. Put the breadcrumbs into a mixing bowl. Remove the lardons from the pan to a board and pour the juices and oil from the pan into the breadcrumbs. Chop the lardons finely, then add them to the crumb mix and allow to cool.

Beat the eggs and cream in a large mixing bowl, then add the ricotta, mixing to break up any large lumps. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix with your hands until well combined.

Heat a small frying pan over a high heat. Break off a small amount of the mixture, flatten between your fingers and fry until cooked. Taste to check the seasoning and the smokiness and add more salt, pepper and paprika if necessary. Form the mixture into 30 balls each 5cm in diameter, packing each one firmly, and place them on the prepared baking trays. Bake for 15–18 minutes, turning the trays halfway through – the balls should begin to brown on the top. Keep an eye on them to make sure that they don’t get burnt underneath.

A delicious way to gain weight, served with a simple tomato sauce and a slab of potato rösti, or try them with a fried egg and a wild mushroom sauce or hollandaise.

Find Jez Felwick on Twitter @TheBowlerUK, or online at thebowleruk.tumblr.com.