Polpette are a delicious Italian antipasto or secondo, served alone or maybe al sugo (with a bit of tomato sauce)–just never on top of pasta. These meatballs are a great way to use up leftover meat–and veggies, herbs, cheese, crusty bread, etc.–and are incredibly flavorful, especially when paired with copious amounts of garlic, parsley, and Parmesan. This recipe makes the simplest beef polpette, but you can add whatever spices and herbs you have on hand.
The size of the meatball is up to you. I like them larger because they fit in a frying pan in one batch and aren’t hard to turn. If you like, you can make smaller ones. You can also cook them in passata if you plan to serve them with sauce, although that is less traditional.
POLPETTE
Makes 12-14
INGREDIENTS
- 450 g (1 lb) potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 garlic clove, peeled
- 250 g (9 oz) minced beef
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- 2 tablespoons grated parmesan
- 1 small egg, lightly beaten
- Dry breadcrumbs
- Olive oil, for frying
- Salt
- Pepper
- Peperoncino, optional
PREPARATION
- Boil the potatoes in lightly salted water until just soft. Drain, then mash until fluffy.
- Crush the garlic with a little salt on a board or in a mortar to a pulp. Add to the potato and mash it in while still warm.
- Add in the raw minced beef, a little salt, and mash again, first with a masher and then with a fork to ensure there are no lumps.
- When the potato has cooled down a little, add the parsley, parmesan, and egg and mix well. Add salt, pepper, or any other herbs and spices you think would be good. Place in the fridge for an hour (or longer, if you prefer) until the mixture firms up.
- Grab heaping teaspoonfuls of the mix, rolling them firmly between your palms so you have big balls of about 5-cm (2-inch) diameter.
- Put the breadcrumbs on a plate.
- Pour enough oil into a large frying pan to come a couple of centimeters up the sides.
- While the oil is heating, roll the balls in the breadcrumbs so they are totally covered. Gently put the balls into the hot oil.
- Fry without moving until the undersides have a beautiful golden crust, then turn them with tongs or a spoon, taking care not to pierce them. Fry until golden and crisp, then drain on paper towels.
- Sprinkle with salt, and serve when they have cooled down just a little (they are also good at room temperature).
