Mardi Gras Meatballs

Meatballs

• 60 g bread, torn in pieces
• 120 g onions, quartered
• 500 g beef mince, broken in pieces
  or 500 g pork mince, broken in pieces
• 1 medium egg
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• plain flour, for dusting

Sauce

• 120 g onions, quartered
• 4 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 3 celery stalks, cut in pieces (5 cm)
• 1 green pepper, cut in eighths
• 1 red pepper, cut in eighths
• 1 garlic clove
• 400 g tinned chopped tomatoes
• 1 tsp pomegranate molasses
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 pinch dried bay leaves, ground
  or 2 dried bay leaves
• 2 - 3 drops Tabasco® sauce, to taste
• ½ tsp fine sea salt
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper
• fresh parsley leaves, roughly chopped, for garnishing (optional)