Anything smothered in lemon sauce will be devoured by my husband. These delicious meatballs infuse the flavors of Greece with garlic, lamb, fresh mint, cinnamon and other spices. They are easy to throw together and can be served as an entree, as they are here with avgolemono sauce, or part of your mezze platter most likely served in your cockpit with fellow marina buddies.

Grab your fresh mint in the spring. Our marina garden has both peppermint and spearmint. These flavors differentiate Greek meatballs from Italian. Or go to your local farmer’s market or grocery store. If you can’t find fresh mint, just use dried.

Keftedes (Greek Meatballs)

1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground lamb
2/3 cup breadcrumbs
1/3 cup milk
3 cloves garlic, pressed
2 eggs
1 medium onion, minced
1/3 cup fresh mint, minced
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper

1 cup flour for dredging
2+ tablespoons EVOO, for frying

Avgolemono Sauce

2/3 cup dry white wine
1 cup water
1 tablespoon Better Than Bouillon Chicken
2 large eggs yolks
Fresh strained juice of 1 lemon

Gather all the top ingredients into a large bowl and combine. There is no better way to do this than just digging in with your hands.

Once combined you can start making the meatballs. Or wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for when you are ready. The meat will absorb all those flavors so no worries if you don’t make these right away.

Fill the bottom of a large plate with flour. Roll the meatballs into golf ball sized balls.

Heat a large pan with the olive oil. Brown the meatballs over medium heat turning frequently. Once cooked through, about 10-15 minutes, remove to a platter. Keep the oil in the pan and sprinkle about a tablespoon of flour into the warm oil and stir to combine.

Now gather the ingredients for the avgolemono sauce.

I like using Better Than Bouillon to make any broth because it gives you the ability to adjust the strength of the broth. Combine 1 tablespoon Better Than Bouillon Chicken in a cup of hot water.

Separate the yolks of 2 eggs in a small bowl. Squeeze the juice of one lemon into the eggs, then whisk together.

Returning to the pan, heat the oil and flour with all the meatball crunchies on low. Add the wine to the pan and deglaze by scraping the charred bits at the bottom of the pan. Add the broth and stir until it starts to thicken. Turn off the heat and continue stirring until it cools a bit. Slowly drizzle the egg-lemon mixture into the pan, whisking fast to combine. Adjust seasoning by adding more Better Than Bouillon Chicken if needed.

Return the meatballs to the pan and roll around over low heat until completely covered in the avgolemono sauce. Warm through for another 5 minutes.

Serve warm. Refrigerate any leftover meatballs in the sauce as they will still be excellent as leftovers in the coming days.