January is an odd time for food. There is the pull towards ascetic self-denial, but also the desire to fend off the cold with hearty bowls of soup, stew and curry – plus the craving for some freshness after the heavy Christmas trudge. I felt a little lost considering what to cook for the first week of the new year – until I saw food writer Ed Smith’s recent newsletter, suggesting sausage meat bún cha as an ideal early-January meal.This Vietnamese meatball dish, served with lettuce cups, cucumbers, fresh herbs and rice noodles, plus nuoc cham dipping sauce, “hits all the fresh, salty, hot and fragrant notes I’m after at this time of year,” Ed writes. It’s “what my ‘new year, new me’ cravings require, while a salty, sweet, sour and spicy sauce pulls all it together in bracing fashion.”
I thought that sounded just about perfect, although I decided to go in a slightly different direction: chicken rather than sausage meat, no noodles and, to sate my ongoing bitter greens cravings, both radicchio and lettuce cups. This time of year calls for big flavours, so I loaded up the meatballs with fresh herbs, aromatics and spices, and - to borrow a technique from Sohla El-Waylly - rolled them in demerara sugar, which turns into a sticky glaze as they cook in the oven.
The result is perfect for this transitional time, both fiery and bright, warming and refreshing, savoury and zippingly acidic. It’s also utterly ideal alongside 2Naturkinder’s Black Betty. This also straddles a seasonal divide, a light red with tannins and teeth, crunchy with fresh berry notes but also darker depths and a little spritz that feels like the last gasp of festive frivolity. It matches this dish’s acidity and is simultaneously tempered by its savouriness.
The holidays may be over, but this seasonal statement of intent is just the way I want to kick off 2025.
Vietnamese Chicken Meatballs with Lettuce and Radicchio Cups
Serves 4 (makes approx. 16 meatballs)
For the meatballs:
1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 banana (échalion) shallots, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 bird’s-eye chillis
2 sticks lemongrass, hard outer layers discarded, minced
1 2-inch piece ginger, minced
500g chicken mince
20g coriander leaves, finely chopped
20g mint leaves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fish sauce (I recommend Red Boat)
1 ½ teaspoons cornflour
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Zest of 1 lime
50g demerara sugar (plus additional, if needed)
For the nuoc cham sauce:
Juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons caster sugar
½ tablespoon rice vinegar
1 bird’s-eye chilli, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
To serve:
1 head baby gem lettuce, washed and separated into leaves
1 head round radicchio (I used the Chioggia variety), washed and separated into leaves 2 Persian cucumbers (or other small cucumbers), sliced
Small handful coriander, to garnish
1 First, make your chicken meatballs. Begin by cooking the aromatics: Place a large frying pan over medium-low heat and add the vegetable oil. Once hot, add the shallots, garlic, chillis, lemongrass and ginger. Cook, stirring frequently, for 2–3 minutes, or until the aromatics have softened and lost their raw aroma, but have not yet browned. Transfer to a small bowl and place in the fridge for 15 minutes to cool.
2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200°C. Line a large baking tray with nonstick baking paper.
3. Once the aromatics have cooled, place in a large nonreactive bowl. Add the chicken mince, coriander and mint, fish sauce, cornstarch, pepper, salt, spices and lime zest. Using your hands, gently mix together until well-incorporated. (You can quickly pan-fry or microwave a small bit of meatball mix to check for seasoning before cooking, if preferred.)
4. Add the sugar to a small plate or shallow bowl. Using slightly moistened hands to prevent sticking, roll the chicken mixture into even, golf-ball-sized spheres. Give each a quick roll in the sugar to lightly coat before arranging on the baking tray, roughly 1 inch apart. (Top up your sugar if you find you need slightly more.)
5. Roast the meatballs for 15–20 minutes, or until they are completely cooked through but still juicy, and the sugar has melted into a light glaze. Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly.
6. Meanwhile, while the meatballs cook, make the nuoc cham sauce. Add all the ingredients to a small bowl and mix to combine. Set aside.
7. Once the meatballs are ready, divide between plates. Add a small pile of lettuce and radicchio leaves to each plate, as well as cucumber slices. Spoon nuoc cham sauce over the meatballs and cucumbers, and garnish the plate with fresh coriander. Serve right away.