Ingredients
For the chicken sausage meatballs:
- 1 1/2 cups homemade, coarse, stale white or peasant bread breadcrumbs (whizzed up in a food processor)
- Milk, to moisten bread
- 1 1/2 pounds ground chicken
- 3 tablespoons dry white wine
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- Salt and pepper
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- About 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons ground poultry seasoning (2/3 palmful), such as Bell’s brand
- 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated onion (half a palmful)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- 2 cloves garlic, grated or minced
- 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (a couple of handfuls)
For the oatmeal:
- 1/4 cup pignoli (pine) nuts
- 2 teaspoons fennel seed
- 3 cups water
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 cup golden raisins
- 1 cup steel-cut oatmeal
- 2-3 small sprigs rosemary, stripped and coarsely chopped
- 2 tablespoons acacia honey, or to taste
Directions
- Pre-heat the oven to 400ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Moisten the breadcrumbs with milk and squeeze out the excess liquid. Place the meat in a large bowl and add the wine, breadcrumbs, egg, salt, pepper, red pepper, nutmeg, poultry seasoning, granulated onion, EVOO, garlic, cheese and parsley. Roll the meatballs about the size of large walnuts (I use a small scoop to roll faster) and arrange on a baking sheet. Bake for 15-18 minutes, ,until cooked through and golden.
- For the oatmeal, in a medium size pot, add the pine nuts and fennel seed and toast; remove to a plate. Add the water, milk, butter, sea salt, golden raisins, oats and rosemary and bring to simmer – do not boil. Cook the oats, according to the package directions, until tender; add honey, to taste.
- Serve the oatmeal in shallow bowls topped with the chicken meatballs.