Italian street polpette
Odessa’s very first restaurateurs were Italians and, for a while, their meatballs and spaghetti became the dish of Odessa. This recipe for beef and pork polpette is how I imagine they were eaten back then, on Italian Street. Livened up with fennel seeds and cayenne pepper, a spice sold in Odessa’s first shops, these make for a great midweek supper, served with spaghetti or linguine.
A recipe from Black Sea by Caroline Eden (Hardie Grant). Buy the book here.
Recipe information
Yield
25-30 meatballs
Ingredients
For the meatballs
For the sauce
Preparation
To serve
Step 1
Parmesan
Step 2
Roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
Method
Step 3
Start with the sauce. Heat the oil in a flameproof casserole over a medium heat.
Step 4
When warm, add the onion, pepper, salt, tomato paste and cayenne and cook for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the oregano, sugar, tomatoes (breaking them up with a wooden spoon as you go), and stock, and bring to a boil.
Step 5
Simmer for 30 minutes, then remove from the heat.
Step 6
For the meatballs, preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7. Grease a baking tray or line with foil.
Step 7
Add all the ingredients to a large bowl and mix together using your hands. Roll the mixture into around 25–30 golf ballsized balls. Place on the tray and roast in the oven for 7 minutes, turning the meatballs once, then cook for another 7 minutes, or until browned and cooked through. Remove from the oven and set aside. Meanwhile, blitz the cooled sauce until smooth using a blender. Add the sauce back to its casserole and add the meatballs. Poach gently for 5 minutes, keeping the lid on (or use foil to cover). Then serve on some spaghetti or linguine, topped with freshly grated Parmesan and some parsley.
