makes
20
prep
25 minutes
cook
45 minutes
difficulty
Easy
makes
20
serves
preparation
25
minutes
cooking
45
minutes
difficulty
Easy
level
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.
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.
