Though this dish may sound fancy, it very much falls into the comforting meatball category. The magic of this dish are the bold flavors deriving from mushrooms, bacon, Dijon mustard, garlic and fresh thyme. A bit of cream makes for a luxurious, velvety sauce.
I generally use pork and beef for meatballs so I was a bit skeptical about using lean turkey. However, the meatballs turned out great!
The delicious sauce paired with the meatballs are a noteworthy addition for your dinner rotation and elegant enough to serve to guests.
This dish is best served right away while everything is hot and the sauce does not reduce too much. If you prefer lots of sauce or are making this in advance and plan to reheat it, go ahead and increase the sauce portion of the recipe. You can never have too much of a good thing!
Wide pasta or mashed potatoes are the perfect pairing for the meatballs, or simply some hearty bread to dip into the sauce.
Coq au Vin Meatballs
4
servingsAdapted from Food & Wine magazine
Ingredients
1 pound lean ground turkey
1 large egg, beaten
1/3 cup panko
2 teaspoons chopped parsley
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste (I used Diamond Crystal)
1 tablespoon minced garlic, divided
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
3 – 4 thick-cut bacon slices, chopped
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1 heaping cup)
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons chicken broth, divided
1 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, plus more for garnish
1/2 cup half and half or heavy cream (I used lactose free half and half)
Directions
- Stir together ground turkey, egg, panko, parsley, salt, 1 teaspoon garlic and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl until evenly combined. Shape mixture in 12 (about 1 1/2-inch) meatballs. Cover and refrigerate until ready to cook.
- Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium, stirring often, until crisp and rendered, about 6 minutes. Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate using a slotted spoon. Reserve 1/4 cup drippings in skillet; discard remaining drippings.
- Return skillet with drippings to medium-high. Cook meatballs, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 6 minutes. Transfer meatballs to a plate and set aside.
- Add mushrooms to skillet with drippings, and cook over medium-high, undisturbed, until browned on one side, about 3 minutes. Stir and cook for 2 more minutes, Add onion, 2 tablespoons broth, and remaining 2 teaspoons of garlic. Cook, scraping up browned bits from the bottom of the skillet, until onion is just tender, about 3 minutes. Add flour, cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add wine, mustard, thyme, and remaining 3/4 cup broth; bring to a boil over medium-high.
- Add meatballs and half of reserved bacon to skillet. Simmer over medium-low, turning meatballs often, until a thermometer inserted into meatballs registers 165 degrees and sauce is thickened, 8-10 minutes. Stir in half and half or heavy cream and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Season to taste with salt. Transfer meatballs and sauce to a platter and sprinkle with remaining bacon or serve straight from the pan. Garnish with additional thyme leaves.
Notes
- Meatballs can be frozen for a few months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator. Heat on low burner until warmed through. Increasing the sauce portion of the recipe is suggested as the sauce will reduce further when reheating.