Boulettes (North African Tunisian/Moroccan Meatballs)

This is a Tunisian/Moroccan dish called boulettes in French.  This recipe was a lot of work, taking close to 2 hours to prepare.  I had a good sense of accomplishment!  This recipe was suggested by my coworker Mary.  Instead of using tomato paste, I used puree.  I only added in 1 cup of chicken broth.  I skipped cilantro.  I used panko breadcrumbs.  I thought it was better.  I went by my own recipe for couscous.

Ingredients:

Saffron Sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 and 1/2 cups finely diced onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
26 oz. tomato puree, unseasoned
1 inch piece cinnamon stick 
Large pinch saffron, crumbled 
Salt and pepper
1 cup chicken broth

For the meatballs:

1 and 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
1 cup milk
1 pound ground beef or lamb
1 large egg, beaten
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
⅛ teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons paprika
¼ teaspoon cayenne
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground cumin
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
3 tablespoons finely chopped scallions

For the couscous:

1 cup couscous
2 tablespoons olive oil
Chives
1/4 cup pine nuts
Salt
Pepper

Preparation:

Make the sauce:

Heat oil over medium-high heat in a wide, heavy bottomed saucepan. Add onion and cook without browning until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, tomato puree, cinnamon and saffron, and stir well to incorporate. Season generously with salt and pepper, and allow to sizzle for 1 minute more. Add broth and simmer gently for 5 minutes. May be made several hours in advance, up to a day.

Make the meatballs:

Put bread cubes and milk in a small bowl. Leave bread to soak until softened, about 5 minutes, then squeeze dry.In a mixing bowl, put squeezed-out bread, ground meat and egg. Add salt, pepper, garlic, nutmeg, ginger, turmeric, paprika, cayenne, cloves, coriander and cumin. Mix well with hands to distribute seasoning. Add 2 tablespoons each of parsley, and scallion, and knead for a minute. May be prepared several hours in advance, up to a day.

Make the couscous:

Cook according to package directions, fluff gently and stir in butter and raisins. Season with salt and cinnamon, and toss well.

Garnish meatballs with couscous and roasted tomatoes if desired.

http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/12763-north-african-meatballs