Meatballs in a Provençal Sauce

Another variation on the provençal recipe. The quantities here are for 2 people.

Ingredients

For the meatballs

500g of minced beef
Handful of fresh sage and marjoram, chopped finely
Salt and pepper
Rapeseed oil for frying

The sauce

3 Carrots, finely chopped
1 Onion, finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
Handful of pitted black olives, cut in half
2 tbsp of capers
A small tin of anchovies in oil
2 Tins of tomatoes
4 bay leaves, dried are fine
Black pepper
Butter, about the size of 2 walnuts
1 tbsp of olive oil for cooking
A handful of french beans cut into bite sized pieces

Method

Place the mince in a bowl and add the herbs and salt and pepper. Mix it well with your hands. Add the oil to a pan and get it nice and hot. Remove a golf ball sized piece of mince and shape it into a ball. Drop it into the pan. Do this for the whole lot. Keeping the heat quite high, keep the balls turning to that they don't burn. Do this until they are firm when squeezed. This means they are cooked through. Next for the sauce

Heat the oil and butter in a thick based pot over a high heat. Once the butter is bubbling add the onions, carrots and garlic. Give everything a good mix to coat in oil and butter and put the lid on. Lower the heat right down. Give this about 40 minutes stirring occasionally to allow the vegetables to soften. Then add the olives, anchovies in their oil and capers and cook for another 10 minutes or so. Then add the rest of the ingredients except the meat balls. Give everything a good stir and put the lid back on. Once the carrots are soft add the cooked meat balls. Cover them with the sauce and continue to cook with the lid on for about 10 minutes. Ladle into bowls to serve.