Post by violet on Nov 13, 2010 22:16:42 GMT 11
From The Food of Italy, published by Murdoch Books.
It was highly recommended by two women I know, both of whom are excellent cooks. I bought it from here:
www.bookdepository.co.uk/book/9781552856772/The-Food-of-Italy
185ml cup olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
100g cup pine nuts, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
40g parsley, roughly chopped
2 teaspoons fennel seeds, ground
55g fresh breadcrumbs
250g ricotta cheese
25g grated Parmesan cheese
grated zest of 1 large lemon
1 egg
500g minced pork or beef
Sauce
800g tomatoes
OR 2 x 400g tins tomatoes
125ml red wine (I used water)
Serves 4
Heat half the olive oil in a saucepan and cook the onion and pine nuts until the onion is soft and the pine nuts are light golden brown. Add the garlic and cook for a few minutes more, then set aside to cool.
Put the herbs, fennel seeds, breadcrumbs, ricotta, Parmesan, lemon zest and egg in a bowl and add the mince. Add the cooled onion and pine nuts, season with salt and pepper and mix briefly until all the ingredients are combined. Test for correct seasoning by frying one small meatball and tasting for flavor. Leave the mixture to rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
To make the meatballs, roll about 50g of mixture into a ball about the size of a walnut and then flatten slightly to make it easier to cook on both sides. Repeat with the rest of the mixture.
Heat the remaining olive oil in a large saucepan and fry the meatballs until golden brown on both sides. If necessary, cook them in two batches to prevent the pan overcrowding. Make sure there is enough oil to prevent the meatballs sticking to the base of the saucepan. Remove all the meatballs from the pan.
To make the sauce, if you are using fresh tomatoes, score a cross in the top of each one, plunge them into boiling water for 20 seconds, then drain and peel the skin away from the cross. Finely chop the flesh. Add the tomatoes and wine to the saucepan, season with salt and pepper and simmer for 5 minutes. Gently add the meatballs to the sauce and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cover the saucepan and cook for a further 10 minutes. Leave for 10 minutes before serving.
Serve with pasta or bread.
This dish is best made a day in advance to let the flavors blend.
It's late and I'm trying to be quick, but if anyone wants the non-metric measurements, let me know and I'll add them in tomorrow. The book includes both.
It was highly recommended by two women I know, both of whom are excellent cooks. I bought it from here:
www.bookdepository.co.uk/book/9781552856772/The-Food-of-Italy
185ml cup olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
100g cup pine nuts, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
40g parsley, roughly chopped
2 teaspoons fennel seeds, ground
55g fresh breadcrumbs
250g ricotta cheese
25g grated Parmesan cheese
grated zest of 1 large lemon
1 egg
500g minced pork or beef
Sauce
800g tomatoes
OR 2 x 400g tins tomatoes
125ml red wine (I used water)
Serves 4
Heat half the olive oil in a saucepan and cook the onion and pine nuts until the onion is soft and the pine nuts are light golden brown. Add the garlic and cook for a few minutes more, then set aside to cool.
Put the herbs, fennel seeds, breadcrumbs, ricotta, Parmesan, lemon zest and egg in a bowl and add the mince. Add the cooled onion and pine nuts, season with salt and pepper and mix briefly until all the ingredients are combined. Test for correct seasoning by frying one small meatball and tasting for flavor. Leave the mixture to rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
To make the meatballs, roll about 50g of mixture into a ball about the size of a walnut and then flatten slightly to make it easier to cook on both sides. Repeat with the rest of the mixture.
Heat the remaining olive oil in a large saucepan and fry the meatballs until golden brown on both sides. If necessary, cook them in two batches to prevent the pan overcrowding. Make sure there is enough oil to prevent the meatballs sticking to the base of the saucepan. Remove all the meatballs from the pan.
To make the sauce, if you are using fresh tomatoes, score a cross in the top of each one, plunge them into boiling water for 20 seconds, then drain and peel the skin away from the cross. Finely chop the flesh. Add the tomatoes and wine to the saucepan, season with salt and pepper and simmer for 5 minutes. Gently add the meatballs to the sauce and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cover the saucepan and cook for a further 10 minutes. Leave for 10 minutes before serving.
Serve with pasta or bread.
This dish is best made a day in advance to let the flavors blend.
It's late and I'm trying to be quick, but if anyone wants the non-metric measurements, let me know and I'll add them in tomorrow. The book includes both.
