Provencal Meatballs

Pour 6 personnes personnes

Préparation: 30 min

Cuisson: 20 min

1 kg of haricot (white) beans, soaked overnight
600 g of sausage meat
400 g mincemeat
1 thick slice of dried rustic bread
2 eggs
Garlic, parsley
3 large onions
5 attractive tomatoes or 500 g of tomato pulp
1 handful of dried cep (porcini) mushrooms
5-6 potatoes
Ingredients Jasso de Calissanne: Camargue salt with Five Berries and Pepper L’Olivaie Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Château Calissanne, Aix en Provence AOC 200 g green olives (plain or piquant) La Jasso de Calissanne dry white wine (Coteaux d’Aix En Provence AOC)

Soak the beans overnight. Soak the ceps in a bowl of warm milk. When they have softened, remove and soak the dry bread in the milk.
In a salad bowl, mix the mincemeat, drained bread, eggs, 3 tbs of a garlic/parsley mix (equal proportions), and 1 tbs of Calissanne oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
With this mix, form balls 5-6 cm wide: roll them in the palm of your (slightly wetted) hands, or lightly coat in flour, fry one after the other in a casserole with Jasso de Calissanne olive oil.
Turn them so they are browned all over, and reserve.
In a large casserole or similar pot, brown the three chopped onions in the oil, and stir. Add the tomatoes (peeled, seeded and cut into four) or tomato pump. Let this mixture reduce so it melts and thickens.
Add the meatballs, mushrooms, 2-3 chopped carrots, salt and pepper. Then cover with 25 cl of wine, wait 2-3 mins and add water.
The stock level must be three-quarters up the meatballs. After 20-25 mins, remove the meatballs and add the beans, letting them cook slowly. When they are nearly cooked, return the meatballs to the put, then the green olives (after pitting them).
Add a few peeled potatoes cut in four. Keep an eye on the pot.
There must be enough juice in the pot for the beans to cook without sticking.
This dish must be quite piquant – don’t hesitate to add salt and pepper.