Orange-Caramel Meatballs

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Makes 12 meatballs

INGREDIENTS: 

For the orange-caramel sauce:

• 1 medium-sized orange

• Half a lemon (juice and zest)

• 1/2 cup of hot water

• 4-5 tablespoons of white sugar

• 1.5 tablespoons of oyster sauce

• 2 slices of ginger

• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

• 1 clove of garlic, minced

(Alternatively, use about 1/3 cup of orange marmalade, warmed up in a sauce pan!)

For the chicken meatballs:

• 2 medium-sized chicken thighs, deboned and minced

• 3 cloves of garlic, minced

• 1 stalk of spring onion, chopped

• 1 teaspoon ginger, minced

• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

METHOD:

To make sauce:

1. Wash orange throughly. With the skin unpeeled, slice thinly, or use a grater to get thin slices. Chop into smaller pieces, then transfer to a heavy-bottom saucepan.

2. Wash lemon, and grate for lemon zest. Set aside. Then juice the lemon in the saucepan. Put in half the lemon zest as well.

3. Bring to a boil, then immediately lower the heat and leave it to simmer for 10-15 minutes.

4. Mix sugar into the hot water, then slowly pour into the saucepan and stir.

5.  It should reach a thick consistency and be a dark orange-brown colour. Take off heat.

To make meatballs:

1. Mix minced chicken, garlic, spring onion, ginger, pepper, salt and soy sauce until well-combined.

2. Stir in cornstarch, then breadcrumbs .

3. Pick up a tablespoonful of the mixture at a time and roll into a ball.

4. Heat vegetable oil in a pan, then sear meatballs until browned. Transfer onto a plate.

5. Heat sesame oil in the pan, and fry the ginger pieces till slightly brown. Add the garlic.

6. On low heat, pour in oyster sauce and the orange caramel sauce into the pan. Stir well, then transfer the meatballs back into the pan.

7. Coat the meatballs with the orange-caramel sauce, let simmer for a few minutes before taking the pan off the heat.

Assembly

Arrange the meatballs in a stack on a plate, pour orange-caramel sauce over top, and sprinkle lemon zest. Serve immediately.

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Chelsea Ho

The Ordinary Gourmet

Follow us on Instagram @chelseahyy