Take a peece of a leg of mutton. Mince it smal and season it with cloves, mace, pepper, and salt, and Dates minced with currants: then roll it into round rolles, and so into little balles, and so boyle them in a little beef broth and so serve them foorth.
--Anonymous, The Good Huswifes Handmaide for the Kitchin, 1588

2 pounds ground lamb
3 tablespoons dates, minced
3 tablespoons currants
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon mace
salt and pepper
4 cans beef broth (low salt, low fat)

Mix together the meat, fruit and spices. Roll into small balls. When ready to serve, put in simmering beef broth for about 10 minutes.

Notes:
I used ground pork, because I couldn’t find lamb (or mutton, but I expected that).

I made the meat balls in advance and stuck them in the fridge until I was ready to cook.

I got 65 meat balls out of this recipe. I made them smaller than a walnut, but larger than a hazelnut.

About mid-afternoon, I got worried about the meatballs falling apart when they hit the boiling broth, so I baked them for 10-15 minutes at 350. This had the added benefit of cooking out some of the grease.

Back to dinner party

Copyright 2003, Abigail Weiner