Monster eyeball meatballs

Ingredients

• 450g ground beef (80/20)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 200g fresh mozzarella, cut into small rounds
• 1 can (400g) crushed tomatoes
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp chili flakes
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 12 pitted black olives, sliced into rounds

Steps

1. 1

   1. Combine the ground beef, egg, garlic, breadcrumbs, parsley, oregano, fennel seeds, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Mix until just combined, then roll into golf-ball-sized rounds.

2. 2

   2. Heat olive oil in an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat and sear the meatballs on all sides until browned, about 5 minutes total, then transfer them to a plate.

3. 3

   3. In the same skillet, sauté the diced onion until soft, add chili flakes, then pour in the crushed tomatoes and simmer for 8 minutes until slightly thickened.

4. 4

   4. Nestle the meatballs back into the sauce, cover, and cook on low heat for 15 minutes until cooked through.

5. 5

   5. Remove from heat, press a round of mozzarella onto the top of each meatball as the iris, then place an olive-slice round in the center of each mozzarella disc as the pupil.

6. 6

   6. Tilt a spoon to drizzle warm marinara in a slow spiral over the assembled eyeball meatballs and serve immediately from a wooden board.