So not all goes to plan in this kitchen, oooh no. Actually that sentence would indicate that I have a plan for supper – most days I’m flipping between at least ten sites open on my increasingly sticky MacBook Air, each with a slightly different version of the recipe I originally had in mind. My cooking style is probably rather closer to the Swedish chef from the Muppets rather than domestic goddess – winging it is probably the best description of what I get up to, and any improvements in the results of my kitchen experiments are entirely due to an increasing proficiency at covering up disaster.
But sometimes no coverup is possible. Two nights ago, I somehow came to serve up a brussel sprout hash. No, really. Brussels, bacon, potatoes, onion, balsamic, one pan. I’m not quite sure what came over me. Despite the red, blue and white potatoes and the beautiful sprouts the result was almost uniformly brown (giving me the heebee-jeebees) and had, as Mr. Reasonable put it, something of the third world about it. Not an experience that either of us are keen to repeat.
So after culinary mishaps such as these, it is an enormous comfort to have a recipe in my arsenal that unfailingly works, that can be served hot or cold, pleases children, adults and Italians, looks good on the plate and that I love too. It’s a huge confidence booster and it happens to be Mr. Reasonable’s favourite.
This is that recipe.
Polpettone
- 1 lb minced (ground) meat (beef, pork, veal or a combination thereof)
- 1 small courgette
- 1 carrot
- 1 shallot
- 2 eggs
- 60g parmesan, grated
- 2 tablespoons chopped flatleaf parsley
- 2 good chunky slices of rustic style white bread (i.e. not plastic loaf)
- about 150ml milk
- 3 tablespoons fresh breadcrumbs
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and prepare a baking tray lined with parchment or foil.
Tear up the doughy crumb from the bread, discarding the crusts (obviously this means eating them with olive oil and salt while you work). Put the bread in the bowl and pour in enough of the milk to cover it and set aside while you assemble the rest of the recipe.
Peel the shallot, courgette and carrot and dice very very finely – normally I’m all for rough chopping but these do need to be pretty tiny. Saute’ in a pan with olive oil until all is soft – you can add spashes of water to help the carrot along here.
While this is happening, hardboil two eggs.
Once the vegetables are soft, put them in a large mixing bowl. Add the minced meat, grated parmesan and chopped parsley. Add the softened bread, wringing out the excess milk as you do. Season with salt and pepper and combine everything well with your hands. Add a little beaten egg just to bring all together, but the olive oil from the vegetables should help too.
Peel the hardboil eggs. Take about half of the meaty mixture and form the base of a rectangular loaf shape on the baking tray. Make a couple of little dips in it and position the hardboiled eggs on top, then use the rest of the mixture to enclose the eggs and make the top of the loaf. (You could also use a loaf tin of course, but the parchment lined baking tray is easier to clean…). Now sprinkle the loaf with breadcrumbs and press them in to make them stick. Cook for 35 minutes until browned, and serve with something fresh and green.
