When I think about meatballs, I usually associate them with pasta and marinara sauce. However, that's not the only way to serve them. I didn't have them very often as a child, but when my mom did make them, she sometimes served them with rice, which apparently is the Haitian way to eat meatballs. Basically, it was served the same way you would serve any other meat dish, sometimes in sauce, sometimes dry.
It's not that you couldn't eat these with pasta, it's that it may be a little more filling then you would like. In any case, this version definitely doesn't go with a marinara sauce! I've seen really large meatballs, so big that they really could serve as an entree with just one of them.
I've tried this with ground beef and ground turkey, and they both work. I think I still prefer meatballs with pasta, but it's good to know there is another way.
Haitian Meatballs Ingredients: 1 pound ground beef (or ground turkey) 1/2 lime seasoning 1/4 yellow onion, finely chopped
1 yellow potato (cooked and mashed) 1 quart frying oil
Directions: 1. Mix the ingredients (including juice from the 1/2 lime) except for oil. 2. Shape the meat into palm-sized balls. 3. Add the oil to a deep pan and heat on high for 5-10 minutes (it should be hot enough to sizzle). Reduce heat to medium. 4. Fry the meatballs in the oil for 5 minutes or until cooked.*
*You may have to do this in batches depending on the size of your pan. The meatballs should be completely submerged in the oil for even frying. I actually use a deep fryer, which makes to frying more consistent and less messy.