Meatball, Feta and Almond Salad

This is an Al Brown-inspired recipe and one of my go-to summer salad dinners: it’s hearty enough to satisfy even the hungriest of men, yet the crunch and tang factor make it light and fresh. The dressing is standout, and also great drizzled over a baby potato and baked salmon salad.

Makes: 2 cups
Takes: 10 minutes to prep; 40 minutes to cook

Ingredients: 

Sweet pickle vinaigrette
2 tablespoons dijon mustard

3 tablespoons sugar

4 teaspoons pickle brine (from jar of pickles)
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1 cup rice bran oil

1 1⁄2 cups finely diced pickles

handful fresh at-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Meatball, feta and almond salad
2 slices white bread, roughly torn
4 tablespoons milk

800g lamb mince

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes

2 teaspoons dried oregano

handful fresh at-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped

salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil

1 iceberg lettuce, cut into thin wedges

2 hard-boiled eggs, cut into wedges

1 red onion, thinly sliced

handful fresh mint leaves, roughly torn

handful fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped
200g feta, crumbled

1⁄2 cup flaked toasted almonds

Method: To make the vinaigrette, combine the mustard, sugar, pickle brine and vinegar
 in a bowl. Slowly add the oil, whisking continuously until thick and combined. Stir through the pickles and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until needed.

To make the meatballs, soak the bread in the milk for 5 minutes. Squeeze, removing the excess milk. Combine the bread, lamb mince, garlic, chilli and herbs in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Mix with your hands until thoroughly combined. Form the mixture into small balls (about half the size of a golf ball). Place the meatballs on a baking tray, cover with cling film and refrigerate until needed.

Heat a large frying pan over a medium-
high heat. Add the olive oil and cook your meatballs in batches, until golden-brown all over and cooked through.

On a large platter, spread the iceberg wedges and scatter with the egg, red onion, mint, coriander and feta. Dress with 2–3 large spoonfuls of the sweet pickle vinaigrette. Arrange the meatballs on top, and sprinkle with the flaked almonds. Finish with more vinaigrette if required.