Lamb, Mint and Cumin Meatballs “Omne Trium Perfectum”

No, not a virus or a spelling error. “Omne trium perfectum” is the Latin for “Good things come in threes.” and we all know that if it’s old enough to be in Latin, there must be some truth to it.

This recipe for Lamb, Mint and Cumin Meatballs kind of proves the rule (as long as you ignore the supporting ingredients. While I’m at it, I’m showing two other recipes too. It’s best to do three, I hear.

Ingredients (for 5 people, 3 meatballs each, of course)

• 1.25 kilos of minced lamb (neck is good)
• 1tablespoon of cumin seeds
• 1 generous handful of mint leaves
• 1 generous handful of parsley
• 1 teaspoon of chilli flakes
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 teaspoon of sea salt
• 1 teaspoon of black pepper

Ingredients (for mint yoghurt)

• 1 generous handful of mint leaves
• 250ml of natural yoghurt

Ingredients (for tasty couscous)

• 200 gms couscous
• 1 handful of green beans
• 1 handful of spring onions
• 1 red chilli
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 teaspoon of sea salt
• 1 teaspoon of black pepper

Method for the meatballs

Heat a frying pan and add the cumin seeds. Toast them until they are a nice deep brown colour.  Let tehm cool a little before bashing them to a dust in a mortar.

My pouring shots come in threes today too (or should that be three).

Chop the garlic, mint and parsley up nice and small. Add all the ingredients to a large bowl and mix well. Leave the mixture to stand in a cool place to allow the flavours meld.

There is lots of lovely flavour going on here.

Make the meatballs up by hand. Mine weighed about 90 grammes each. I managed to make 15 allowing a small amount for a quick taste test. A test that proved the efficacy of the recipe.

Three sets of three. I wonder what the Latin is for that.

Brown the meatballs on a pan with a little oil. Then you can set them aside while you make the other parts of this trio of tastiness. When it comes to it, give them 20 minutes in a 200ºC/400ºF oven.

These will be finished in the oven.

Method for the couscous

Follow the pack instructions for the couscous itself. In this case, it involved pouring it into a saucepan of hot water and boiling for 12 minutes. Queue the pouring shot.

I am really proud of this shot. The detail in the couscous is pretty spectacular.

Chop up the green beans nice and small and give them 1 minute in the microwave. This will take the edge off without overcooking them. Chop up the chilli and spring onions.

Did I say pour in the olive oil?

When you have drained the couscous, add all the other ingredients. Stir this well, cover and leave it to one side. This will need a spell in the microwave later, if you like it hot or not if you like it cold. I like both.

Method for the minted yoghurt. 

Do you really need instructions?

Come on! There are two ingredients. There is a big clue in the photograph and I am not going to spoon feed you. Though, I did spoon lots of the minted yoghurt over the meatballs.

The proof of the old saying is in the eating. Proof positive.

When the meatballs are cooked through (remember that oven step), serve them on top of the couscous and under the minted yoghurt. This is a triumph of threes. The three mini recipes go so well together. It’s proof positive of the truth of the old Latin. “Omne Trium (really is) Perfectum”. Give it a go and enjoy it.