< Previous216217 W inter W inter seasons the whole mixture and gives it a savoury and rounded depth, which the meat can sometimes lack. If I buy mince, I always buy a mix of half pork and half beef, and I ask my butcher to mince it for me, and to choose pieces that have a good amount of fat on them. Mince shouldn’t be too lean, ideally, as the fat adds flavour and succulence. Most mince here is a mix of pork and beef, the wise Sardinians know that the fat and flavour a bit of pig adds to the mix is indispensable. Minced beef, unless chopped through with lots of fat or even bone marrow, or cooked very rare, has the natural tendency to become hard, chewy and almost grainy. When cooking your meatballs you can choose to bake them in the oven, or braise them in a casserole dish and add wine to deglaze. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/gas 4). Soak the bread in the milk until it has absorbed all the liquid and is completely soft. Mush it up between your fingers, then add it to the minced meat in a mixing bowl. Add the egg, grated cheese, lemon zest, salt, chopped fennel (or seeds) and some grated nutmeg. Squidge everything together between your fingers until you have a smooth, even mixture. Shape into little balls (sized according to preference) and place on a baking tray (pan). Bake in the oven for 25–35 minutes (depending on size). Break one open to see if they are cooked through. Serve with a sauce of your choice (either bianco or rosso – see below). In padella If cooking on the hob you can start these in a frying pan (skillet) with a little oil and keep turning until they are cooked through. In bianco Heat a little olive oil in a heavy-based casserole dish (Dutch oven) and start to sauté the polpette. Cook over a medium heat until you have some golden crusts forming, turning with a fork occasionally and then pour over a couple of glasses of dry white wine. Leave to simmer for a minute as the wine evaporates, then cover with a lid and leave over a gentle heat for around 10–15 minutes until the balls are cooked through and the wine has reduced to a nice consistency. Eat, with abundant bread for mopping up juices. In rosso Alternatively, the meatballs can be served in a simple tomato sauce (see the variation on p.222). 3–4 slices (about 100 g/3½ oz) stale bread, crusts removed 100 ml (3½ fl oz/scant ½ cup) milk 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) minced (ground) meat (I use a mix of pork and beef – make sure it has a good amount of fat) 1 large egg 4 heaped tablespoons grated Parmesan/pecorino grated zest of 1 lemon about 1 teaspoon salt a good few sprigs of wild fennel, finely chopped, or a few crushed fennel seeds a good grating of nutmeg drizzle of olive oil (optional) 216217 W inter W inter seasons the whole mixture and gives it a savoury and rounded depth, which the meat can sometimes lack. If I buy mince, I always buy a mix of half pork and half beef, and I ask my butcher to mince it for me, and to choose pieces that have a good amount of fat on them. Mince shouldn’t be too lean, ideally, as the fat adds flavour and succulence. Most mince here is a mix of pork and beef, the wise Sardinians know that the fat and flavour a bit of pig adds to the mix is indispensable. Minced beef, unless chopped through with lots of fat or even bone marrow, or cooked very rare, has the natural tendency to become hard, chewy and almost grainy. When cooking your meatballs you can choose to bake them in the oven, or braise them in a casserole dish and add wine to deglaze. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/gas 4). Soak the bread in the milk until it has absorbed all the liquid and is completely soft. Mush it up between your fingers, then add it to the minced meat in a mixing bowl. Add the egg, grated cheese, lemon zest, salt, chopped fennel (or seeds) and some grated nutmeg. Squidge everything together between your fingers until you have a smooth, even mixture. Shape into little balls (sized according to preference) and place on a baking tray (pan). Bake in the oven for 25–35 minutes (depending on size). Break one open to see if they are cooked through. Serve with a sauce of your choice (either bianco or rosso – see below). In padella If cooking on the hob you can start these in a frying pan (skillet) with a little oil and keep turning until they are cooked through. In bianco Heat a little olive oil in a heavy-based casserole dish (Dutch oven) and start to sauté the polpette. Cook over a medium heat until you have some golden crusts forming, turning with a fork occasionally and then pour over a couple of glasses of dry white wine. Leave to simmer for a minute as the wine evaporates, then cover with a lid and leave over a gentle heat for around 10–15 minutes until the balls are cooked through and the wine has reduced to a nice consistency. Eat, with abundant bread for mopping up juices. In rosso Alternatively, the meatballs can be served in a simple tomato sauce (see the variation on p.222). 3–4 slices (about 100 g/3½ oz) stale bread, crusts removed 100 ml (3½ fl oz/scant ½ cup) milk 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) minced (ground) meat (I use a mix of pork and beef – make sure it has a good amount of fat) 1 large egg 4 heaped tablespoons grated Parmesan/pecorino grated zest of 1 lemon about 1 teaspoon salt a good few sprigs of wild fennel, finely chopped, or a few crushed fennel seeds a good grating of nutmeg drizzle of olive oil (optional) Next >