Scallion Meatballs with Soy-Ginger Glaze — bite-sized turkey meatballs finished in a sticky, savoury glaze

It’s telling how fortunate my life feels right now that deciding what to bring to a New Year’s party tomorrow felt like a real dilemma. What counts as “easy” these days? Which spa gift certificate should I use first for a manicure before the party? Which pair of earrings — the ones from this year or last year’s little blue box? Which private plane should I take? Such are the glamorous trials in a food blogger’s day. Ahem.

Over the past year I’ve joked (mostly at my own expense) about how several projects I assumed I could handle like a pro actually kicked my butt — in order: raising a toddler, finishing a cookbook, trying to keep evenings and weekends free for family time (even if that time is just “let’s buy mama more conditioner and eat warm pretzels”), and this strange mix of having too little time for myself while spending too much time alone. I won’t recount how many hours I’ve spent wondering how anyone manages to get dinner on the table, keep an apartment tidy, get any sleep, or take vacations — all while looking presentable. No, we’ll skip that. If you read past the self-deprecation and exhaustion, you’ll hopefully sense that I’m absolutely delighted with this life. This job — the 4:30 a.m. starts, the chaos and rewards — is pretty great and I wouldn’t change a thing. I hope next year brings more of the same, more travel and more time with people like you.

When it comes to party snacks, tiny meatballs always win. No disrespect to spiced nuts, pickles, deviled eggs or fancy toasts, but small meatballs feel like a little meal rather than just more indulgence. Since I sometimes don’t manage a full dinner before heading out, I secretly hope a party will offer things that feel substantial — not just chips. This year I’m bringing my own. The recipe comes from Canal House Cooking, Volume 3. I gushed about those books last year and still love them; they keep inspiring me. These meatballs are from an early volume and it took me too long to make them. I suspect they’d be equally welcome at a Chinese New Year gathering. They come together quickly and, unlike many meatball recipes that need browning then simmering or baking, these require only a single cooking step.

I hope your New Year’s plans are wonderful — full of small bites, big kisses — and that someone makes these for you in the morning.

Two years ago: Walnut Pesto and Spicy Caramel Popcorn
Three years ago: Pecan Sandies and Sugar-and-Spice Candied Nuts
Four years ago: Caramel Cake
Five years ago: Russian Tea Cakes and Coq au Vin

I tweaked the original slightly — I used less cilantro and ginger and cooked the sauce longer than suggested so it would reduce to a true glaze that clings to each meatball. I almost reduced the sugar, but after the glaze had concentrated I liked the balance of sweetness against the soy and ginger’s savoury bite.

Note: Use a gluten-free soy sauce to make this recipe gluten-free. There were several such options on store shelves.

Yield: The recipe in the book suggests 24 meatballs; my batch made 34, which pleased me.

Sauce

• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar

• 1/2 cup water

• 1/2 cup soy sauce (preferably Japanese or reduced sodium)

• 1/2 cup mirin (sweet rice wine), or 1/2 cup sake + 1/4 cup sugar

• 1/4 cup peeled, chopped ginger (I used half that amount and found it plenty; adjust to taste)

• 1 tsp ground coriander

• 4 whole black peppercorns (I didn’t count exactly)

Meatballs

• 1 lb ground turkey

• 4 large or 6 small scallions, finely chopped

• Half a bunch cilantro, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup) — substitute flat-leaf parsley if you dislike cilantro

• 1 large egg

• 2 tbsp sesame oil (toasted sesame oil if available)

• 2 tbsp soy sauce

• Freshly ground black pepper

• Vegetable oil (for frying)

Make the sauce:
In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the sugar and water to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Lower the heat to medium-low and add the soy sauce, mirin, ginger, coriander and peppercorns. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid reduces by about half — roughly 30 minutes, though I left it a bit longer so it became syrupy and would coat the meatballs rather than simply drip off. You can keep the sauce warm on a back burner and stir it while you brown the meatballs. Once reduced to your liking, strain the sauce through a sieve.

Make the meatballs:
Combine the turkey, scallions, cilantro, egg, sesame oil, soy sauce and several grinds of black pepper in a bowl. I like to mix meatball mixtures with a fork because it tends to blend the ingredients nicely. Shape tablespoon-sized portions into balls. The mixture is fairly soft; use damp hands and roll the meatballs by tossing them palm-to-palm until they’re roughly round.

In a skillet over medium-high heat, add enough vegetable oil to generously cover the pan bottom. Working in batches so you don’t crowd the pan, cook the meatballs, turning them until they’re browned all over and cooked through — about 8 minutes per batch. Arrange the cooked meatballs on a platter (a warm platter helps keep them hot), spoon a little sauce over each one, and serve with toothpicks. Alternatively, serve the glaze on the side for dipping.

Do ahead:
The sauce can be prepared up to two days ahead and refrigerated. If needed, keep the meatballs warm in a 200°F oven until serving. I’m storing mine in the fridge overnight and hoping they taste fresh tomorrow.