Polpette

Tuscany
Preparation - Easy
Serves 2

Like many wonderful Italian recipes, meatballs were invented to use up leftovers - in this case chicken. The recipe is taken from Elizabeth Romer's delightful"The Tuscan Year".

To make her Polpette, which she and Sauro might also eat if they are lunching alone, Silvana uses about

150 g or 5 1/2 oz of boiled potato
100 g or 3 1/2 oz of cooked breast of chicken
100 g or 3 1/2 oz of mortadella sausage
50 g or 2 oz of grated pecorino or parmigiano cheese
one spoonful of finely chopped parsley
one clove of garlic
salt and black pepper
one egg
breadcrumbs
arachide (peanut) oil for frying

In a mixing bowl Silvana mashes up the potatoes well, and adds the chicken breast, chopped very finely. Next she adds the mortadella, also chopped finely, and then the grated cheese, mixing the ingredients well as she goes. Then she sprinkles in the parsley and finely chopped garlic and seasons the mixture with lots of black pepper and some salt. Finally she binds the paste together with an egg. When all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed she divides the mixture into small balls or sausages, whichever takes her fancy. She rolls the polpette in breadcrumbs and fries them a few at a time in a pan of bubbling arachide oil. When the polpette are a golden brown she drains them thoroughly and arranges them on a serving dish garnished with wedges of lemon. They make a lovely luncheon dish served with a peppery salad, maybe of rocket (arugula) - and some cold white wine.