Italian Meatballs

WORDS: PHOTOGRAPHY

Ingredients:

• 200g organic veal mince
• 150g organic pork mince
• 50g ‘nduja calabrese’ (Italian spreadable salami)
• 1 egg
• 100g fresh grated parmigiano (parmesan) cheese
• 70ml extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and black pepper
• Fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, sage)
• 2 garlic gloves
• 1 tin pulp tomatoes
• Basil leaf

Directions:

Begin by mixing the meats and the ‘nduja’ in a big bowl until it gets a uniform mince. Chop up some fresh herbs and the garlic gloves and add it to the mix. Add the egg and the fresh parmesan until dissolved, then season it with salt and pepper — but keep in mind that parmesan and nduja are quite salty, so do not use too much. Pour the extra virgin olive oil over the mix, and keep it in fridge for a couple of hours to get the best flavour out of it.

Once it’s ready for the next stage (we recommend wearing gloves here to avoid making a mess), start portioning the mixture into a medium-sized meatball. Once this process is completed, it’s time to cook. Put olive oil in a pan, add a few rosemary and thyme leaves and let it cook until it becomes golden and caramelised. Next, add the crushed pulp tomatoes and a bit of salt, then let it cook for 20 minutes at low to medium heat. Servie in a bowl plate and finish it off with a nice, fresh grated parmiginao reggiano cheese, basil leaf, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.