This dish is made with mini meatballs, which can be made with minced beef, pork or even sausage meat. The meatballs are cooked on top of the chilli to give the dish a lovely rustic look.
Serves 4
Ingredients
For the chilli
2 medium red onions, chopped into chunks
1 large red pepper, halved, deseeded and diced into chunks
4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
2 tbsp olive oil
500g cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tbsp caster sugar
2 tsp dried chilli flakes
Good pinch sea salt
2 x 420g cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
55g sunblush tomatoes
200ml tomato passata
Fresh coriander to finish (optional)
For the meat balls (Makes approx 24)
500g lean minced beef/pork
4 tbsp fresh white bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
1 medium onion, finely chopped
Seasoning
For the crispy jackets
4 medium jacket sized potatoes
2/3 tbsp olive oilm for drizzling
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large pot (300g) sour cream
1 bunch of chives, chopped
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
2. Place the onions, pepper and garlic on a medium sized roasting tray, drizzle with the oil and roast for 15 minutes.
3. Remove the vegetables from oven. Add the halved tomatoes and sprinkle over the sugar, chilli, salt. Roast for a further 15 minutes or until the tomatoes look lightly charred.
4. Meanwhile, in a bowl combine the meatball ingredients and season well. Using wet hands roll the meat mixture into 24 even sized meat balls. Set to one side.
5. Scatter over the kidney beans, sunblush tomatoes and passata and combine well. Lay over the meatballs and return to the oven for a further 15-20 minutes or until bubbling hot and cooked.
For the crispy jackets
1. Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas mark 6.
2. Cut the potatoes in half lengthways. Using a small knife carefully slash through the cut side in a lattice style fashion. Place the halves on a non stick shallow roasting tray. Drizzle over the olive oil and season well, rubbing the salt and oil into the skins. Place in the oven for approximately 1 hour until golden and crisp and the centre of the potatoes are tender.
3. Meanwhile, mix the sour cream and chives together and spoon into a serving bowl. To serve, pile the jacket skins onto a wooden board and serve along side the sour cream and chunky chilli.