Preheat your oven to 400F.

Add your celery, carrot, onion and garlic to a food processor and puree.

Make your meatballs. Add your ground lamb to a large bowl along with your veg puree, an egg, breadcrumbs, chopped basil, parm and salt + pepper. You can test seasoning by sautéing a small amount of the mixture. Use your hands to mix (they’re the best tools for this) until combined. Be careful not to overmix – stop when everything is evenly distributed.

Roll your lamb mixture into balls and place on a lined baking sheet. You can make them big or small, just make sure they’re even. Roast your meatballs at 400 till the internal temp reaches 150F. Safe temp is 160F, but there will be some carryover cooking after removed from the oven.

Start your polenta. Add your milk and water to a large saucepan over medium high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and gradually whisk in your polenta. Make sure your polenta mixture comes back to a simmer after adding it in, then cover and cook on low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring halfway.

Start your mushroom Madeira. Add 2 tbsp butter and EVOO to saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, add your mushrooms and sauté until brown and caramelized, then add your garlic and sauté until fragrant.

Meanwhile, whisk your chicken stock and cornstarch together to create a slurry. This will thicken your sauce up. Once the cornstarch is well incorporated, add your madeira to the mix and pour into your mushrooms.

Bring your mushroom madeira sauce to a simmer and cook for another few minutes until slightly reduced and thickened, then turn off the heat and add remaining butter and balsamic.

Finish your polenta. Once polenta is creamy and thick, turn off the heat, add your butter and cheese, and whisk till combined.

Serve your meatballs on a bed of polenta, spoon your mushroom madeira sauce on top, garnish with lots of fresh basil and enjoy!