Last weekend, I found myself cooking for just myself, so I quickly decided to boil some Hay into a stock. From there, we bought some ground lamb for its distinct earthy notes that we thought would pair well with the hay flavours, and the rest of the dish fell into place from there.
We started by making our meatballs, which we seasoned with White Pepper, Salt, and Ground Rosemary. We then boiled some pasta in a pot while sautéing some sliced onions and peas in a Cast Iron Pan before creating our Roux and building our hay sauce. Then, to finish, we braised our meatballs in the sauce, added in our cooked pasta, and let everything simmer and meld together. The resulting meal was both unique and delicious!
Time: 30 Minutes (Plus time to make your Hay Stock)
Ingredients:
- Pasta. Spätzli would work really well here as well.
- Onions
- Peas
- Ground Lamb/Mutton (Beef and Pork would also work well)
- White Pepper
- Ground Rosemary (we used dried sprigs and a mortar and pestle)
- Salt
- 2 Cups Hay Stock
- Black Pepper
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- 2 Tablespoons All Purpose Flour
Method:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F, and line a baking sheet with foil. Give the foil a quick oil spray to prevent sticking.
- Put your ground meat into a mixing bowl, and sprinkle in your white pepper, salt, and ground rosemary. Mash to combine, and spread your seasonings evenly throughout your meat.
- Roll your meat into small balls, and arrange them on your baking sheet. Then, stash in the oven. Bake for 8-9 minutes, rotate, and continue baking until they reach a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees F (another 8-9 minutes).
- As your meatballs cook, bring some water to a boil, and add your pasta. Cook until tender.
- Slice your onions.
- Melt some butter in a heavy bottomed pan (we prefer cast iron for this), and add your onions. Cook until they turn opaque, and then add in your peas.
- Sprinkle in your all purpose flour, and mix to fully incorporate it onto your vegetables.
- Slowly pour in your hay stock, and add your black pepper. Stir everything together shortly thereafter. Allow to simmer so your sauce can thicken.
- When your meatballs are done in the oven, remove the pan, and transfer your meatballs into your hay sauce.
- When your pasta is ready, drain the water, and pour it into your pan as well. Stir to combine until your sauce coats all of your ingredients nicely.
- Plate, devour, and enjoy!
