Thai Sesame Meatballs with Ground Turkey and Spicy Sweet-and-Sour Sauce

These deceptively decadent

meatballs pack rich, bold flavor without the heaviness of typical beef

meatballs with sauce. Ground turkey thigh meat is lean and juicy, and panko

breadcrumbs are lighter and less dense than fresh, “wet” breadcrumbs.

For this recipe, I used pure

sesame paste as a binder in place of egg. The paste not only helps hold the

meat mixture together, but also adds the savory, nutty taste of sesame.

A simple side dish of

stir-fried baby bok choy, mung bean sprouts, and peanuts cooked quickly in very

little oil is a light, fresh accompaniment for the flavor-packed meatballs and

sauce. The key is to keep the vegetables crunchy: high temperature, short time,

done.

Note: The meatball mixture can be made one day ahead and refrigerated,

covered, overnight. Form the meatballs and bring to room temperature before

baking.

For the Meatballs and Sauce

(about 1 1/4 inch in diameter).

Meatball Mixture Meatballs Ready to Bake Place the meatballs on the

pan and bake until browned and cooked through, about 24 minutes, turning once

halfway through.

Meatballs after 12 Minutes Baked Meatballs Meanwhile, combine the honey,

soy sauce, lime juice, rice vinegar, sambal oelek, and sesame oil in a bowl,

stirring until the honey dissolves.

Heat a small saucepan over

medium heat and add the peanut oil. Add the remaining finely chopped garlic

clove and remaining 1 teaspoon of finely chopped ginger. Sauté 2 minutes.

Add the honey mixture to the

pan and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and cook 5 minutes. Remove

from the heat. (Reheat gently over low heat if not using right away.)

Sweet and Sour Sauce Beginning to CookSpicy Sweet and Sour Sauce

To serve, mound the

stir-fried vegetable mixture (recipe follows) in the middle of 4 shallow bowls.

Set 3 meatballs on top of each and drizzle the sweet and sour sauce over all. Serve

right away.

Heat a wok over high heat and add the peanut

oil. Allow the oil to heat 15 seconds. Add the bok choy and bean sprouts and

season with salt and pepper. Stir-fry 3 minutes. Add the peanuts and toss with

the vegetables. Serve right away.

Bok Choy and Bean Sprouts Beginning to CookStir-Fried Bok Choy and Bean Sprouts with Peanuts