Raw ham meatballs make a super-quick dinner

Raw ham meatballs are a brilliant idea for a last-minute dinner solution, especially if your fridge is half empty and your have very little time and practically no imagination. All you need are eggs, a little stale bread, raw ham and cheese.  

That’s really all it takes to rustle up some delicious raw ham meatballs for serving on skewers for a quick family supper or on their own as a TV dinner. Served on skewers they make a perfect life-saver in the event of unexpected guests. They are so quick to make you can even present them as a starter to qualm those hunger pangs, while waiting for the pasta to cook. 

The recipe can be varied by making the meatballs larger and/or replacing raw ham with mortadella, or even cooked ham with a few dices of smoked bacon.  

Give full vent to your imagination and you can’t go wrong; what counts most with this recipe is the consistency of the meatballs which must be firm enough not to break up when being cooked. To dry the mixture you may also add breadcrumbs or a little flour. 

The Recipe:

Soak the stale bread in water until soft.  Then squeeze it well to prevent the mixture from being too wet. Add the eggs, parmesan and cheese previously diced or hand grated. Blend everything thoroughly by hand or using a mixer. Add the raw ham and continue to blend. Season with salt and pepper. If the resulting mixture is too soft, add more of the soaked and squeezed bread or some  breadcrumbs. If you don’t have any of the former, add some flour a little at a time until the mixture has the desired consistency. Now divide the mixture up into little balls: they don’t take long to cook but, the smaller they are, the more likely they are to remain intact during cooking. You may choose to cook them in an oven previously heated to 180°C for 15- 20 minutes or in a frying pan with a little oil, taking care to turn them over frequently.  

Insert the raw ham meatballs onto toothpicks or fine wood  skewers and serve nice and hot.   

What to drink with raw ham meatballs
The wine to choose will depend on how you wish to serve your  raw ham meatballs. If you have an aperitif or a brunch in mind, with further servings of cold cuts and cheeses, you can’t go wrong with a white wine such as an Australian Chardonnay Yellow Tail: with its taste of citrus and exotic fruits, it does not even resemble a Chardonnay. The taste is soave and also pairs well with fish and desserts. It makes an ideal accompaniment to other delicately flavoured foods, such as these raw ham meatballs. You could also serve a young red wine, so long as it does not dominate the delicate flavour of these meatballs.