Boulèts (Epis-Spiced Meatballs) Recipe

New York Times

25-02-2025

Rating 4 (7) Notes Read community notes
A favorite of the chef Elsy Dinvil, these tender fried beef meatballs were a common sight on her childhood dinner table in Jérémie, Haiti. Comforting yet complex thanks to epis, a Haitian seasoning blend made with herbs and spices, they're a great addition to rice or even some crusty bread. You can enjoy them as is or with the piquant onion and tomato sauce below. If you like heat, be sure to break open the Scotch bonnet chile after it's tender from stewing, and it'll give the sauce a hot, fruity flavor. —Korsha Wilson
Featured in: The Deeply Spiced Meatballs That Call Back to Haiti 1 (6- to 8-inch) French roll or baguette (see Tips)
⅔ cup evaporated milk or unsweetened coconut milk
1 pound ground beef (preferably ground sirloin)
7 tablespoons epis (Haitian seasoning), store-bought or homemade
1 egg yolk (optional)
Salt, if desired
½ cup all-purpose flour (see Tips)
About 3 cups olive oil or vegetable oil, for frying
2 tablespoons olive oil (or oil of your choice)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 tablespoons epis (Haitian seasoning)
1 bouquet garni (4 thyme sprigs and 3 flat-leaf parsley sprigs, tied together with kitchen string if desired)
1 whole Scotch bonnet or habanero chile
2½ cups water or stock of choice
10 to 12 pieces macaroni or penne pasta (optional)
1 tablespoon lime juice (optional)
Salt
3 thick slices red or yellow onion (from 1 large onion)
Cooked rice, rice and beans, or fried or boiled plantains, for serving Add ingredients to Grocery List Ingredient Substitution Guide
Prepare the boulèts: Using your hands, tear the insides of the bread into small pieces (you should have 1 to 1¼ cups) and place in a small bowl. (Save the crusts for another use.) Pour the evaporated milk over the bread and let it rest while you prepare the meat mixture.
In a medium bowl, combine the ground beef, epis and egg yolk (if using). Squeeze the excess milk from the bread and add the bread to the beef mixture. Mix thoroughly, using a spoon or your hands. (If you'd like, test for seasoning: Take a small portion of the meat mixture and cook through in a pan or the microwave. Taste, and if necessary, add salt to the uncooked beef mixture as desired.) Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to an hour.
Cook the boulèts: Fill a 10- to 12-inch high-sided frying pan or Dutch oven with oil to about 1-inch deep and heat on medium-high. While the oil is heating, place the flour in a shallow bowl. Divide the beef mixture into 8 equal- portions and form into 2½-inch balls. Roll each ball in the flour to coat (you may have a little flour left in the bowl) and transfer to a plate. When the oil is hot (about 350 degrees on an instant-read or deep-fry thermometer; see Tips), add the meatballs to the oil and fry for about 3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meatballs to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.
Make the sauce: In another pan on medium, heat 2 tablespoons oil and add the tomato paste. Let it fry for 2 to 3 minutes, until the oil is stained red. Add the epis, bouquet garni and Scotch bonnet, stirring to combine. Pour in the water or stock, taste for seasoning, adding salt if desired, and bring to a boil on high. Add the macaroni (if using). Reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer 6 minutes, to thicken slightly and allow the flavors to blend.
Add the fried meatballs to the sauce and let simmer for another 6 minutes. Taste and season the sauce to taste with salt and lime juice, if desired. Remove and discard the bouquet garni and the Scotch bonnet (or keep chile for serving).
Add the sliced onions and cook for another 5 minutes, until cooked through but still slightly crunchy (or longer if you prefer your onions more tender). Serve hot with cooked rice, rice and beans, or fried or boiled plantains on the side. Tips If you'd like to make the dish gluten-free, use 2 mashed cooked yellow potatoes instead of the bread and gluten-free flour for coating the meatballs.
To determine if the oil is hot enough without using a thermometer, Ms. Dinvil adds one drop of water from the tip of one finger. If the oil boils, it's not hot enough, but if the drop of water forms a bubble, then the oil is ready for frying.
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It would be really helpful to have a recipe for epis spice here, since the recipe mentions it can be homemade...
You should have included the recipe for epis (Haitian seasoning). I know I can google it. I want the one that would be recommended.
Meatballs were lovely, light and flavorful, but too spicy, even for us who are accustomed to quite spicy food. I had a jar of jamaican epis in my pantry so that's what I used. Seven tablespoons seemed like a lot for a pound of meat. I too wondered what purpose the macaroni was supposed to serve, and I left it out of the accompanying sauce, which was delicious and not too spicy. I might try broiling/baking the meatballs when I try it again. Frying was very messy and used an excessive amount of oil, in my opinion.
A little question: what is the purpose of adding macaroni to the sauce?
Just curious, what's the point of the 10 - 12 pieces of macaroni? (With 4 servings, that would be ~3 pieces each.) Private notes are only visible to you.