Phil Vickery's lemon turkey meatballs recipe

Phil Vickery's lemon turkey meatballs recipe combines two delicious superfoods, British turkey and broccoli: both of which are packed with essential vitamins and minerals. Turkey is a great source of protein and is much leaner than most other meats – making it a great choice if you’re trying to be a bit healthier this week. Broccoli is full of vitamins C and K, plus the vegetable is a great source of potassium and dietary fibre too.

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Ingredients

• 500g (18oz) British turkey mince
• 1 tbsp pine nuts
• ½ small onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 4 tbsp vegetable oil
• 225ml (9fl oz) whipping cream
• 3 tbsp dried breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Finely grated zest and juice of 1 large lemon
• Salt and freshly milled black pepper

For the sauce:

• 200ml (7fl oz) chicken stock
• 2 heads of broccoli, cut into small florets, cooked
• 300g (11oz) cooked pasta ribbons

Method

1. To make this superfood recipe, cook the onion and garlic in a little oil for about 10 mins to soften.
2. Place the mince, cooked onion, pine nuts, lemon zest, olive oil, breadcrumbs and 1tbsp whipping cream into a bowl and mix well. Season well with salt and pepper.
3. Form into 20 small balls, then chill well.
4. To make the sauce, boil the chicken stock and lemon juice to reduce by two thirds. Add the remaining cream and reboil, the sauce should thicken straight away. You may need to add a touch of stock if the sauce thickens too much. Season well with salt and pepper, and keep warm.
5. Place a couple of tbsp of oil into a non stick frying pan.
6. Add the meatballs and gently cook for 15 mins to lightly brown and cook through. Serve with warm pasta and broccoli. Spoon over the hot lemon sauce.