Lamb Meatballs with Tomato and Date Chutney and Sumac Yogurt

Tuesday, October 14th, 2025

From our kitchen to your glass, this recipe was made to pair seamlessly with our Davis Estates Merlot.

Ingredients

Serves 8

Lamb Meatballs

½ cup finely diced onion
1 large egg
½ teaspoon fresh ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup fresh bread (torn and soaked in milk for 1 minute)
¼ cup fresh mint, chopped
1¼ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 lb ground lamb
1 tablespoon olive oil (for cooking)

Sumac Yogurt

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small shallot, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon ground sumac
2 cups greek yogurt
salt and pepper

Tomato and Date Chutney

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
½ cup Davis Estates Sauvignon Blanc
¼ teaspoons saffron threads
½ tsp smoked paprika
¼ tsp espelette pepper
¼ cup sherry vinegar
5 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
4 oz dates, pitted, seeded and chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Method

Lamb Meatballs

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
In a bowl, mix together onion, soaked and drained bread, egg, cumin, cinnamon, mint, salt, and pepper.
Add ground lamb and mix gently by hand until evenly combined.
Shape into 1-ounce balls.
Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add olive oil and brown the meatballs for 3 minutes.
Turn meatballs over and finish cooking in the oven for 4-5 minutes until cooked through.
Keep warm until ready to serve.

Sumac Yogurt

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
Add shallot and garlic, cook gently until soft and translucent (do not brown).
Add sumac and cook for 1 more minute. Allow to cool.
Stir into Greek yogurt and season with salt and pepper.

Tomato and Date Chutney

In a small saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat.
Sauté onion and garlic until soft.
Add saffron and white wine, reduce until almost dry.
Stir in paprika, espelette, tomatoes, dates, and sherry vinegar.
Simmer for 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste.

To Finish

On a warm plate, spread a generous amount of sumac yogurt. Place three meatballs on top. Garnish with a spoonful of chutney. Serve immediately with a glass of Davis Estates Rhys Merlot.

Beautifully echoing the dish’s warmth and balance, the Davis Estates Merlot creates a smooth and inviting pairing for this layered recipe!