TURKEY MEATBALLS WITH CRANBERRY SAUCE

Turkey Meatballs with Cranberry Sauce image

Provided by Katherine Sacks

Yield Makes 50 meatballs

Number Of Ingredients 15

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound ground pork
1 pound ground turkey
2 large eggs
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
2/3 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon crushed fennel seeds
4 teaspoons finely chopped sage, plus whole leaves for garnish (optional)
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 (14-ounce) can jellied cranberry sauce
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger

Steps:

Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with oil.
Using your hands, mix pork, turkey, eggs, garlic, breadcrumbs, milk, fennel, 4 tsp. chopped sage, 2 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper in a large bowl until incorporated. Roll into 1" balls, making sure to pack firmly.
Transfer balls to prepared baking sheet, packing them snuggly. Roast meatballs until firm and cooked through, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook cranberry sauce, orange juice, brown sugar, ginger, and remaining 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper in a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly, until smooth, about 5 minutes.
Using a pastry brush, generously coat meatballs with 1/3 cup cranberry sauce mixture. Return meatballs to oven and continue to bake until glaze is shiny and caramelized, about 5 minutes more.
Shake sheet to coat meatballs with sauce. Transfer remaining sauce to a serving bowl and transfer meatballs to a serving platter. Top meatballs with sage leaves before serving, if using.