Incoronate - Fancy Meatballs

Italian polpette (meatballs) is a domestic dish you are unlikely to be served if you are invited to someone's house, unless you are regarded as part of the family. Polpette  belong to the cucina povera, they express a popular way to recycle a leftover piece of meat. 

Easy to make, polpette are usually coated with flour or breadcrumbs and fried  in oil and butter to be served as a second course, accompanied by a salad or a vegetable. 

Here I would like to dignify the humble polpette by putting a crown on them.

The combination of sweet and sour flavours (dried prunes, pork mince and pancetta) gives a twist to the classic dish, while the baking makes it lighter.


Incoronate - Fancy Meatballs

70 g stale bread, diced
 Enough milk to soak the bread
1 small leek roughly chopped (greens included)
1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
600 g pork mince
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Sea salt and black pepper
24 smoked pancetta slices, approx. 200 g
10 pitted dried plums
Extra virgin oil

Serves 5 to 6
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes

1. In a bowl, soak the bread in the milk for 15 minutes. Drain and squeeze. 
2. In a food processor, arrange the bread, the leek, the herbs and the balsamic vinegar and pulse to a smooth paste. Remove and place in a mixing bowl. 
3. Add the meat and the egg to the bread paste and mix thoroughly. 
4. Preheat the oven to 200°C. 
5. Line an oven tray (30cmx40cm) with parchment and lightly grease with oil. 
6. With your hands, mould a heaped tablespoon of mince mixture into a (5cm diameter) meatball. Arrange on the tray. Wrap each meatball with a pancetta slice, like crowning it. Place half of the plum on the top. Bake for 12 minutes. 
7. Transfer in a hot serving dish and serve at once.