Monday, September 10, 2007

SWEET AND SAVORY ITALIAN MEATBALLS

Sometimes, there are recipes which catch your eye the very second you see them and which you know that they are going to turn out well when tested. It is exactly what happened to me in March as I was flipping through the glossy pages of "Elle A table", one of my favorite cookery magazines from France...

Alba Pezone's dish looked so appealing and it's unusual ingredie
nts made it extremely original and somehow very exotic. I had to test this Italian cookery school (Parole In Cucina, Paris) founder and gastronomical journalist's exceptional recipe!

Her grandmother's "Sweet And Savory Meatballs" or "Polpettine Dolci" date back to the time of the Medici reign (see infos), during the Renaissance, wh
en the Napolitan people used to eat many sweet and savory dishes.Traditionally, it was always prepared for Easter and many different versions exist.

First of all, those dainty little "Sweet And Savory Italian Meatballs" look gorgeous and very attractive on a buffet table, when served as an apperitive/starter course. Then, it is to be said that they don't taste bad either! They do tend to create a surprise the first time you bite in one of them, because their flavor is so singular. With every mouthful, you have the impression that you are eating Panettone as accompaniment to beef. A very bizarre, but pleasant sensation! The candied citrus peels really add an unexpected candy taste that is very amazing. For some it might be very odd, but for others like me who love to discover new horizons, it is really enchanting...

A real culinary discovery!

~ Sweet And Savory Italian Meatballs (Polpettine Dolci) ~
Recipe by Alba Pezone, "Elle A Table" N°49, Mars Avril 2007 and adapted by Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums.

Serves 4.

Ingredients:
300g Ground beef
100g Stale bread (the soft interior only)
1 Egg yolk
6 Tbs Freshly grated Parmesan
2 Clove garlic, very finely chopped
25g Raisins
25g Pine nuts, roasted
50g Candied citrus fruit peels (lemon, orange, lime), very finely chopped
Peanut oil, for deep-frying

Method:
1. In two different bowls, soak both the raisins and the stale bread in water for about 30 minutes.
2. Squeeze the bread in order to let out the excess water. Then, crumble it finely.
3. Strain the raisins.

4. In a big bowl, mix together the ground meat, crumbled bread, egg yolk, parmesan, garlic, candied fruits, raisins and pine nuts.
5. Salt and pepper to taste.
6. Mix and knead all the ingredients thouroughly with your hands.
7. Shape into walnut-sized meatballs.
8. Heat the oil in a deep enough pan.
9. Once the oil is hot, deep fry the meatballs, a batch at a time and until golden brown on all sides (3-4 minutes).

10. Drain meatballs on paper towels and transfer them to a platter.
11. Reserve in the oven at 100° C (200° F).
12. Prick with toothpicks and serve.


Remarks:
The original recipes asks for 4 tablespoons parmes
an and 2 tablespoons pecorino cheese.
Be sure to shape your meatballs well (homogenously), otherwise they'll burst open while frying.

To decorate, you can also use flat parsley leaves that you place on top of each meatball before you prick them with the toothpicks.
The meatballs can be eaten warm or at room temperature and kept in the refrigerator (in a box) up to two days.

Serving suggestions:
Serve the meatballs as an apperitive/starter course, alone or with a fennel salad/carpaccio.

35 comments:

  1. Alors là, je craque.

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  2. Ces boulettes salées sucrées me donnent l'eau à la bouche!
    Bises

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  3. comme bebop, ça me donne faim. Je testerais volontiers.
    Bonne journée.
    Chrys

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  4. rohh, ça m'a l'air délicieux!!

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  5. PAPRIKAS: ;-P! Merci...

    BEBOP: Merci, Bebop!

    CHRYSTEL: Merci! Et bien, je te les conseille vivement... Bonne journée à toi aussi!

    ALHYA: Merci! Effectivement, c'est super bon...

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  6. Ca a l'air vraiment mais VRAIMENT délicieux ... S'il t'en reste, tu sais à quelle porte frapper n'est ce pas ? :p

    Bises :)

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  7. Tes photos sont superbes, j'ai d'abord cru à un dessert , c'est tout dire !!
    Bonne journée et bizzz

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  8. j'y goûterai bien moi, elles ont l'air parfaites.
    Sacrée Mercotte, elle voit du sweet partout
    Je suis contente chez blogger !!

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  9. Tes boulettes sont superbes et ne demandent qu'à être croquées !

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  10. Je suis une fan d'Alba Pezone, dommage que ses cours soient si chers car j'y serai déjà passée!

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  11. pas mal, pas mal du tout, tt ca !!! alors c'est quand que tu fais mini-table d'hotes ??:)

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  12. J'adore les recettes d'Alba Pezone et j'ai aussi repéré ces boulettes dans Elle à Table, c'est un délice... Bises

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  13. Your meatballs looks so delicious. I've never had meatballs with raisins, pine nuts, or candied citrus fruit peels. Nor have I ever fried them in peanut oil. What an enticing recipe. Yum!

    Paz

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  14. rosa am reading this recipe line per line its sounds exciting the ingredients something i must try and experiment....

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  15. J'adore tout ce qui est bouchées, et cette version est très appétissante (j'adore la 1ère photo !)

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  16. Effectivement, le goût doit être surprenant. A goûter pour s'en faire une idée.
    Bises amicales

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  17. Non seulement ça doit être succulent mais en plus c'est super joli! impeccable!

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  18. Oooh, I can't wait to get my kitchen back!!

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  19. j'ai cru que c'etait un dessert !
    ta recette me plait bien , mais pour moi ce sera au poulet

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  20. héhé :) moi j'ai fait le cake gorgonzola parmesan miel romarin ... une réussite en bouche, mais pas aussi belle que toi en photo ;)

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  21. yum... count me in.... I gotta taste these....
    luv Abby

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  22. These are some perfect party poppers, Rosa. I know what you mean about some pics just grabbing you and saying: make me! try me! :)

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  23. I have never seen such a recipe before. It sounds interesting, but I may be too shy to try it myself.

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  24. ERYN: Merci de tout coeur pour ce gentil commentaire :-D! Malheureusement, il n'en reste plus... Une prochaine fois peut-être! Bises.

    MERCOTTE: Merci beaucoup, Mercotte! Oui, ça aurait pu être un dessert ;-P... Bises et bonne journée à toi aussi!

    BRIGITTEGUYANE: Alors viens me rendre visite ;-P! Il faut croire que le sucré la hante, LOL... Bises!

    SYLVIE: Merci :-D!

    MARIE: Oui, ses recettes sont vraiment sympas! Dommage pour les cours...

    ANYNYMOUS: Merci ;-P! Heu, je sais pas si j'y arriverais, mais ça me tenterait bien...

    NATALIA: Alba Pezone publie de jolies recettes. J'aime beaucoup son style! Bises...

    PAZ: Thanks for the kind comment! Me neither until I had tried those meatballs and I was positively surprised!...

    SHA: Thanks! Yes, try this recipe. You'll not be deceived at all!!!

    CAT: Merci :-D! Oui, ce genre de choses sont vraiment sympas...

    MARIE FLO: Effectivement, très surprenant! Bises...

    EOL: Merci beaucoup!!!

    ROSA: I can understand that ;-P!!!!...

    MOUNET: Hihi ;-P! Avec du poulet, ça doit être délicieux...

    MARION: Merci :-)! Ce cake est très appétissant...

    LUV ABBY: Thanks! I hope you'll like them! xoxo

    CYNTHIA: Thanks, you are right! Some recipes just haunt you until you make them ;-P...

    LANNAE: Well, it's only surprising taste-wise, but not shocking... So, you can try them without fear!

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  25. Elles sont très réussies, bravo !

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  26. Je ne me suis jamais lancée dans les boulettes... Les tiennes me donnent envie de franchir le pas, en tout cas.
    Bises.

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  27. Je suis fan de toutes ces petites boulettes que l'on sert à l'apero!

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  28. Oh, that recipe looks fabulous. I like to put dried fruits in savory foods. I will try these soon! Yum!!!!!

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  29. Oh que ça me plaît ça! Et les photos sont belles aussi. Mais les fruits...faut que j'essaie!

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  30. C'est une découvret pour moi.
    Merci

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  31. BERGEOU: Merci :-D!

    MINGOUMANGO: Merci! C'est vraiment facile et vite fait! Je te conseille de franchir le pas car tu ne le regretteras pas! Bises...

    LYDIAN: Moi de même ;-P!

    SHER: Thanks! I hope you'll like them! Please keep me informed...

    GATO AZUL: Merci beaucoup! J'espère qu'elles te plairont. Tiens-moi au courant du résultat...

    MINOUCHKA: De rien! Contente de t'avoir fait découvrir quelque choses...

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  32. En tout les cas tes photos m'attirent vraiment l'oeil. Elles sont superbes !

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  33. These look beautiful - great photography too.
    I am going to make them to serve as appetizers with champagne on Christmas day.

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  34. THE CAKED CRUSADER: Thanks for your kind comment and for passing by! Wow, that's make a great Christmas starter! I hope you'll like them as much as I did...

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