Polpettine - Italian Meatballs

These can easily be made in advance and frozen, or kept in the fridge for a few days.

Ingredients

6 Tbsp milk

1 slice good quality white bread, crusts removed

450g lean beef, minced (or half-om-half)

1 Tbsp finely chopped onion

1 Tbsp chopped parsley

1 egg, lightly beaten

pinch nutmeg

15g grated parmesan cheese

vegetable oil

salt

freshly ground pepper

fine, dry plain breadcrumbs (or Panko)

225g (½ tin) tinned italian tomatoes, cut up with their juice

Put the milk and bread in a saucepan, bring to the boil, mash the bread to a pulp/paste and allow to cool
In a bowl put the minced beef, onion, parsley, egg, nutmeg, grated Parmesan, 1 Tbsp oil, bread/milk mush, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly by hand. Test for seasoning by frying a little piece. Gently, without squeezing too much, form into meatballs, about 2.5 cm in diameter. Roll the balls in the breadcrumbs
Choose a frying pan large enough to hold all the meatballs in a single layer. Pour in oil till 6mm deep, Turn heat to medium high and when quite hot, slip in the meatballs. Brown on all sides taking care not to break them up or letting them stick to the pan
When browned, turn off heat, and remove as much of the oil as you can. Turn the heat to medium, add the tomatoes and a little salt. Turn the meatballs carefully over to coat and reduce heat and cover. Cook for 25 minutes or so till the tomatoes have thickened to a sauce, turning the meatballs occasionally.

The Classic Italian Cookbook Marcella Hazan

polpette

italian