Smothered

Some sauces are meant to be messy and that's just because they taste so delicious that they make you want to dive into a big bowl. However, instead of diving into the sauce, it's a bit more normal to just smother everything in sight with it. 

That's this sauce. It has everything I crave in it - curry, coconut cream, citrus, and peanut butter. You might not think that all these would go together, but they do. You'll just have to try it to believe me. 

Turkey Meatballs with Curried Peanut Butter Sauce - serves 6 - 8

1 lb lean ground turkey
1 egg, beaten
6 cloves of garlic, minced and divided
3 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste
Coconut cream, the thick solid from one can of coconut milk
2 tablespoons peanut butter
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons lime juice

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and make your meatballs. Combine egg, 2 cloves of garlic, ketchup, mustard, ginger, and breadcrumbs in a large bowl. Add turkey, salt, and, pepper and mix well. Roll into small balls and  bake on a parchment lined cookie sheet for about 20 minutes. Turn meatballs once to allow both sides to brown.

2. While meatballs are baking, make your sauce. Add remaining garlic and oil to a saucepan and cook on medium low heat until garlic starts to brown. Add curry paste and cook another 30 - 60 seconds. Next scoop coconut cream into the pan, followed by peanut butter. Cook until sauce comes to a smooth consistency.

3. Add fish sauce, sugar, lime juice and stir together. Taste and add more curry paste if too mild, more lime juice if you'd like it more tart, more fish sauce if you'd like it more salty, and more sugar if you'd like it more sweet.

4. Spoon sauce over meatballs or allow for dipping if you'd prefer. Enjoy!

When I buy coconut milk I always gently shake my can. If I hear a sloshing sound, I know there the coconut milk and cream may not be separated. If I don't hear anything, I know the coconut cream will be at the top of the can. You can encourage the coconut cream to the top of the can by placing your coconut milk in your fridge for a half hour or so prior to using it too.