Meatballs Aflame!

By inpatskitchen • March 21, 2011 • 3 Comments

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Author Notes: The other night when we were planning our dinner around Flaming Cheese, I thought we could also flame some loukanika, the orange scented Greek sausage so often flamed in Greek restaurants as an appetizer. Needless to say, as I was shopping for kasseri, feta, tarama, bread and all the veggies, I couldn't find loukanika. I borrowed a few hints from MrsWheelbarrow and made a sausage like, orange scented meatball to flame. - inpatskitchen

Makes 12 two ounce meatball patties

3/4 pounds ground pork
3/4 pounds ground chuck
2 teaspoons crushed fennel seed
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
zest of one medium orange
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/3 cup dry red wine
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
3 ounces inexpensive brandy
2 lemon halves

Thoroughly mix all but the brandy and lemon together thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
When ready to cook, with wet hands, shape the meat mixture into 12 meatballs and flatten them slightly.
Grill the meatballs over a medium flame until cooked through. Have a hot heavy duty saute pan ready to transfer the meatballs to.
Transfer the meatballs to the hot saute pan. Pour the brandy into the pan and light ( don't forget to yell Opa!).
Extinguish the flames with a lemon half or two.
Place the patties in a serving dish, pour any accumulated juices from the pan over them and serve hot.