Fried meatballs (polpettine di bar)

Growing up, we usually ate meatballs in a sauce accompanied by pasta, potato mash or polenta, but polpettine also make great bar food.

Fried meatballs (polpettine di bar) Credit: Paola Bacchia

• makes

  20

• prep

  25 minutes

• cook

  45 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

During a recent trip to Venice, a restaurant and bar called La Vedova was recommended to me not only through foodie connections on social media but also through my host Flavia, who is friends with the owner. I was told to try the fried meat polpettine, as ‘they sell them more quickly than they can make them’. So, traipsing along the laneways one evening near Ca D’Oro, I found La Vedova. I stood behind a long line of people at the bar, waiting for a polpettina and a glass of Prosecco. It was absolutely worth the wait – just- fried meatballs, crunchy on the outside and so tasty on the inside, served in a tiny serviette and eaten in just a couple of bites.

Ingredients

• 150 g (5½ oz) (1 medium) potato
• 30 g (1 oz) crustless bread
• 80 ml (2½ fl oz/⅓ cup) milk
• 250 g (9 oz) minced (ground) beef
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• ½ tsp sea salt flakes, plus extra, to serve
• ½ tsp pepper, freshly ground
• 40 g (1¼ oz) grated parmesan
• grapeseed, peanut or sunflower oil, for shallow-frying

Crumb

• plain (all-purpose) flour,
• 1 egg, lightly beaten with a splash of milk
• homemade fresh breadcrumbs

Instructions

Place the whole potato in a saucepan of cold water, cover and bring to the boil. Cook for about 30 minutes until tender. Drain, peel and mash or push through a potato ricer. Set aside to cool.

Soak the bread in the milk for 5 minutes, then drain and squeeze the bread to remove the excess liquid. Transfer to a large bowl.

Add the potato and the remaining ingredients except the oil to the large bowl. Combine the ingredients with a large wooden spoon or your hands until the mixture comes together.

Roll the mixture into small balls, about 20 g (¾ oz) each.

To crumb the meatballs, fill three separate shallow dishes with the flour, egg mixture and breadcrumbs. Dredge the meatballs one at a time in the flour, then the egg and finally the breadcrumbs. Set aside on a plate.

Heat about 1 cm (½ in) of oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat. Fry the meatballs in batches for about 3 minutes, turning until they are evenly cooked and deep brown.

Drain the meatballs on kitchen towel and serve warm, scattered with extra salt flakes.

This recipe is from Italian Street Food. (Smith Street Books). Photography by Paola Bacchia.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

During a recent trip to Venice, a restaurant and bar called La Vedova was recommended to me not only through foodie connections on social media but also through my host Flavia, who is friends with the owner. I was told to try the fried meat polpettine, as ‘they sell them more quickly than they can make them’. So, traipsing along the laneways one evening near Ca D’Oro, I found La Vedova. I stood behind a long line of people at the bar, waiting for a polpettina and a glass of Prosecco. It was absolutely worth the wait – just- fried meatballs, crunchy on the outside and so tasty on the inside, served in a tiny serviette and eaten in just a couple of bites.