Sesame soy chicken meatballs & dad's rice
It's a known fact that my dad makes the best rice. Oh, you didn't know this? Well it's your lucky day because I'm about to let you in on his secret recipe. His rice is super easy and it's not done in a rice cooker, just a regular ol' pot. I know that it can seem risky to make rice sometimes - will it stick to the pot and make cleanup a mess? What if it ends up dry or burnt? Or, do I have to rinse the rice before cooking it so it doesn't end up sticky (spoiler alert: nope!). There is no need to worry; I promise we can get through this together and you'll be making dad's famous rice in no time.
But let me remind myself that the rice is just the sideshow to these amazing little meatballs. I see no reason why beef gets all the meatball glory - chicken is fabulous in ball form! And these are so incredibly easy - you will have dinner on the table, complete with two sides, in about 30 minutes. I for one can't wait to make these again and that is a sure sign of a great recipe.
I was worried the chile sauce would be too intense and overpower these meatballs but they complement each other perfectly. They are so flavorful that they don't *need* the sauce per se, but if you can find it in the grocery or have some in your fridge, definitely use it. If you're a garlic or ginger fan, these would be great flavors to add in as well. But of course, then you couldn't invite me over so I'd suggest the recipe as is below :)
Sesame soy chicken meatballs
Adapted from Food & Wine
Level: Easy
Time: About 30 minutes
Ingredients
Canola oil, for brushing
1 pound ground chicken
1/2 cup seasoned panko bread crumbs
1/3 cup minced scallions, plus thinly sliced scallions for garnish
1 egg
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Pinch of salt and pepper
Asian chile sauce, for serving
Sesame seeds, for garnish
Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Brush a rimmed baking sheet with canola oil.
In a large bowl, mix together chicken, panko bread crumbs, minced scallions, egg, sesame oil, soy sauce, salt and pepper. Form into balls roughly 1.5 inches wide and arrange on the baking sheet.
Brush the tops of the meatballs with more canola oil and bake for 13-15 minutes - until they are browned on the bottom and cooked through.
Transfer the meatballs to plates, serve with chile sauce for dipping, and garnish with scallions and sesame seeds.
I also served with my dad's rice (recipe below) and steamed broccoli that was tossed with sesame oil and sesame seeds.
My dad's rice
Level: Easy
Time: About 15 minutes
Ingredients
1 cup white rice
Almost 2 cups water
Salt and pepper, to taste
Pad of butter (optional)
Directions
Place rice, water, salt and pepper in a medium saucepan (not nonstick!). Bring to a boil on high, then reduce heat to low, cover and let simmer UNTOUCHED (do NOT open the lid or stir for any reason!) for 10-12 minutes.
Check the rice at 10 minutes and see if all the liquid has been absorbed and if the rice is tender; if not, continue cooking for another minute or two.
Remove from the heat, add a pad of salted butter (optional) and season with more salt and pepper to taste.
Mangia!