Veal & pork albondigas, white velouté, tomato & basil cous cous

Method

For the albondigas, put all the ingredients, except the oil, in a bowl and mix with your hands until well combined. Using wet hands, form the mixture into 4 cm balls, then put them on a tray in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to firm. In a frying pan over medium heat, and without overcrowding the pan, fry the meatballs in the oil until they are evenly caramelised. Do not overcook as the meatballs will go rubbery. For the white velouté, in a large saucepan over medium heat melt the butter, then add the flour. Cook the flour until it starts to colour – only to the lightest of browns. Then start ladling in the warmed chicken stock, a little at a time, making sure it is well mixed and consistent in texture before adding more – this will prevent lumps from forming. Continue this process until all the chicken stock is used, then remove the pan from the heat. Add the crème fraîche and season to taste. For the cous cous, in a saucepan bring the stock to the boil. Add the cous cous and simmer for about 10 minutes, covered, until tender. Drain off any excess liquid from the cous cous. Stir in the pepper sauce and butter and cover for 5 minutes. To build the plate, heap the cous cous in the middle of a deep dish, along with the diced tomato, basil and chopped toasted almonds. Place the meatballs around the outside of the dish and cover with the velouté.