Melbourne’s Meatball & Wine Bar has been a hit since launching in 2012, expanding from Flinders Lane to Swan Street last year, with a third venue to open on foodie strip Smith Street next month.

Known for – you guessed it – juicy meatballs served with your choice of carb (polenta, mash, pasta) and sauce (salsa verde, tomato, béchamel), these guys take the humble meatball to the next level.

The New Daily asked owner Matteo Bruno and chef Simmer Kahlon to cook us one of the store’s most popular specials, veal and marsala meatballs.

What you’ll need

1 kg quality veal mince
140 ml Marsala wine
50 gm butter
1/2 brown onion, finely diced
50 gm minced garlic
400 gm button mushrooms
Sea salt and pepper
Zest of one lemon
125 gm gluten free bread crumbs
1 large egg, whisked
A few leaves of fresh sage, finely chopped
200 ml cooking cream

Step one, fry up

Fry the onions with butter until translucent and then add the garlic and 3/4 of the mushrooms. Cook gently until the liquid has evaporated.

Step two, Marsala magic

Reduce the heat, throw in the Marsala and reduce to a quarter of the original volume. Regular Marsala works best … no need to crack out the good stuff.

Add the sage.

Step three, mix the mix

Add the breadcrumbs and lemon zest to the mince and combine with your hands.

Add the cooled mushroom mix and the egg, and combine well.

Chill the mixture thoroughly in the fridge.

Step four, roll it up

Preheat the oven to 155 degrees celsius, then roll the mixture in to 60 gram balls.

Line a tray with baking paper, place the veal balls evenly, bake for 14 minutes.

Step five, mushroom sauce

Simmer the remaining button mushrooms with another splash of Marsala, then add cooking cream, salt and pepper. 

Step six, plate, and serve

Garnish with fresh micro-herbs and serve with the mushroom sauce and some polenta, pasta or mashed potato.

Check out the Meatball & Wine Bar for more delicious meatball combinations. Hit them up on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.