Chicken meatballs in tomato sauce

SERVES 4 PREPARATION: 30-35 MINUTES, PLUS STANDING TIME COOKING: 20 MINUTES

575g lean chicken breast fillets, chopped 80g ground almonds 2 tablespoons chopped chives 2 teaspoons fennel seeds 1 clove garlic, crushed 80g cheddar, finely grated 1 egg yolk 2 cups (500ml) salt-reduced chicken stock, heated 1 tablespoon salt-reduced tomato paste 600g tomatoes, cut into wedges 300g seeded red capsicum, chopped

HERB DRIZZLE 1 cup basil leaves, finely chopped ¼ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped 1 teaspoon sweet paprika 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 HERB DRIZZLE Whisk all the ingredients together in a small jug. Season to taste with freshly ground black pepper. Set aside until required. 2 Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan-forced). 3 Process the chicken in a food processor until minced. Add the almonds, chives, fennel seeds, garlic, cheese and egg yolk and process until the mixture is well combined, smooth and sticky. Season to taste with freshly ground black pepper. Using slightly damp hands, roll walnut-sized portions of mixture into smooth balls. Transfer to a large heavy-based baking dish. 4 Whisk together the stock and tomato paste until well combined, then pour around the balls in the dish. Add the tomato and capsicum. 5 Roast for 20 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through and the liquid has reduced by half. Remove and rest for 5 minutes. 6 Spoon the Herb Drizzle over the meatballs and sauce to serve.