Ingredients
250g/9oz leftover turkey meat (at least), finely chopped or minced coarsely
300ml/10fl oz whole milk
50g/2oz butter
50g/2oz plain flour
2tsp fresh parsley, chopped
2tsp fresh chives, chopped
pinch nutmeg
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 egg, beaten
50g/2oz whole breadcrumbs
sunflower, groundnut or olive oil, for frying
Method
1. Heat the milk in one small pan and melt the butter in another. Add the flour to the butter and mix to make a roux. Cook gently for a couple of minutes. Add the milk, hot but not boiling, a little at a time to the roux, stirring vigorously to get a thick, smooth béchamel sauce. Allow to bubble gently for a couple of minutes, stirring all the time. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
2. Add the turkey and chopped herbs, nutmeg and seasoning and mix together well with a wooden spoon. Transfer the mixture to the fridge for an hour or two until completely cold and set firm.
3. Take spoonfuls of the cold mixture and roll into balls with floured hands. Dip into the beaten egg, then roll in the breadcrumbs until thoroughly coated. Deep or shallow-fry in hot oil for 4-5 minutes until nicely browned and crispy.
4. Serve bolinhas either on their own or with a simple tomato sauce.
5. Variation for curried bolinhas.
Sweat some finely chopped onions until soft and then add curry spices and cook for a further few minutes. Add to the turkey and béchamel, as above, omitting the herbs and nutmeg.
