Mulberry Pomegranate

Zakynthian Polpette

Mama's recipes, Meat and 'kima'1

One bite of these tender polpette always has me dreaming of the stunning Greek island of Zakynthos. Traditionally, these polpette use a little ladotiri  (the famous olive oil cheese of Zakytnhos) in the mix for an extra layer of umami flavour. If you can’t get your hands on ladotiri, then your next best bet is using a really piquant sheep milk pecorino – which gives a really authentic taste to the polpette.

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Zakynthian Polpette

piquant meatballs from the Greek island of Zakynthos

Ingredients

  • 300 grams pork mince
  • 1 medium Potato Peeled and grated
  • 1 medium Onion grated
  • 1/2 cup Fresh bread crumbs
  • 1/2 cup grated ladotiri or pecorino cheese
  • 1 Egg lightly beaten
  • 1 tsp chilli puree
  • 1/2 cup Fresh mint finely chopped
  • For the sauce:
  • 6-8 cloves Garlic roughly sliced and less if you prefer
  • 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1.5 kg ripe tomatoes
  • 1 sprig fresh basil
  • sea salt to taste
  • chilli puree to taste

Instructions

  1. For the meatballs, mix all the ingredients by kneading them lightly for a few minutes. Don’t over mix or they will become tough. Using about 1 teaspoon of the mixture, shape into small ball and place on a lined baking tray in one layer. Set the meatballs aside in the fridge to rest for 30 minutes.
  2. Start to make the sauce. Wash the tomatoes and halve or quarter. Put them in a saucepan with a splash of water and let them simmer for a few minutes. Once the tomatoes have released a little liquid, remove from the heat. Place the tomatoes in a colander and push through with a wooden pestle (as mama does) or pass the tomatoes through a mouli. Place the extra virgin olive oil and garlic in a heavy based pot. Allow the garlic to become a little fragrant, but not burnt. Add the basil and fresh tomato puree. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer for 30 minutes. Add salt and a little chilli puree to taste.
  3. Back to the meatballs, place a pan over medium to high heat. Add a little olive oil and let it heat for 1 minute. Add a few meatballs to the pan at a time. Brown them on both sides for about 5 minutes total. They will cook further in the sauce. When ready, remove from pan and place them on a plate lined with paper towels so they can drain from any excess oil. Finally, add the meatballs to the tomato sauce while it simmers for around 10 minutes, until the sauce thickens and the meatballs are ready. Allow to rest for a little while and serve warm.

a

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