POLPETTE RECIPES RECIPES

Steps:

• 1. Just about everyone I know is a fan of meatballs, so I thought I’d give you a recipe for these as they are something a little different. I’ve seen them made in Sicily in the same way, using a mixture of swordfish and tuna – not jarred or tinned tuna though. These have to be made with fresh fish and they are subtly seasoned with Sicilian herbs and spices – this recipe is just as good as the meat versions!
  2. First make your sauce. Place a large pan on the heat, add a good lug of olive oil, your onion and garlic and fry slowly for 10 or so minutes until soft. Add your oregano, the tomatoes, salt and pepper and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15 minutes or so, then liquidize until smooth. Taste – it might need a tiny swig of red wine vinegar or some extra seasoning.
  3. While the tomatoes are simmering, chop the tuna up into 2.5cm/1 inch dice. Pour a good couple of tablespoons of olive oil into a large frying pan and place on the heat. Add the tuna to the pan with the pine nuts and cinnamon. Season lightly with salt and pepper and fry for a minute or so to cook the tuna on all sides and toast the pine nuts. Remove from the heat and put the mixture into a bowl. Allow to cool down for 5 minutes, then add the oregano, parsley, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, eggs, and zest and juice of the lemon to the bowl. Using your hands, really scrunch and mix the flavours into the tuna, then divide the mixture and squeeze it into meatballs slightly smaller than a golf ball. If you dip one of your hands in water while shaping you’ll get a nice smooth surface on the meatball. If the mixture’s very sticky, add a few more breadcrumbs. Keep the meatballs around the same size and place them on an oiled tray, then put them in the fridge for an hour to let them rest.
  4. Put the pan you fried the tuna in back on the heat with a little olive oil. Add your meatballs to the pan and jiggle them about until they’re golden brown all over. You might want to do them in batches – when they’re done, add them to the tomato sauce, divide between your plates, sprinkle with chopped parsley and drizzle with good olive oil. Great served with spaghetti or linguine.

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6.
  2. Pick the mint leaves and put half into a food processor, popping the rest into a cup of cold water for later.
  3. Drain the beans, roughly chop the pork fillet, and add both to the processor with 1 heaped teaspoon of mustard, the oats and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper.
  4. Blitz into a coarse mince (don’t go too fine – keep it light and chunky in texture), then tip onto a board and roll into a long sausage. Chop into four equal pieces, divide each into five and, with wet hands, roll into twenty balls.
  5. To start your gravy, put 1 tablespoon of oil into a large high-sided roasting tray on a medium-high heat and add four of the balls, breaking them up with a wooden spoon.
  6. Peel and quarter the onions, break apart into petals and add to the tray, stirring regularly. Cut the apples into thin wedges, discarding the core, and stir them in, too.
  7. Cook it all for 5 minutes, then stir in the Worcestershire sauce and the remaining heaped teaspoon of mustard, followed by the flour.
  8. Stir for 2 minutes, then gradually stir in the stock, season and bring to the boil (it might seem like a lot of liquid, but it will reduce right down as it bakes).
  9. Plop in the remaining balls, spacing them out evenly, then transfer to the oven for 25 minutes, or until golden, shaking the tray halfway through. Warm the buns alongside for the last 5 minutes.
  10. Remove the tray from the oven and finely grate the Cheddar over the balls to melt. Drain and toss the remaining mint leaves with the watercress and/or rocket, and serve it all together, dunking the buns in the gravy as you tuck in.