Polpette di pollo. Chicken Boulettes

I like meatballs because they give me the chance to combine different ingredients - herbs, spices, bread, egg, vegetables, cheese -, to play with different flavours and the final result is  never too 'meaty'. 

Chicken boulettes are my favourite ones, so light and delicate. Since I started making my own organic minced chicken, I prepare them quite often. 

The only trick is to chop the chicken breast into 2 cm cubes, arrange them over cling film, keep them separate before wrapping and freeze them for 30 minutes. This makes it easy to blend the meat  in a blender. Just pulse few time in order to  have a coarse mince.

I wanted my boulettes with a Mediterranean flavour, so I added red onion, sun-dried tomatoes in oil, balsamic vinegar and parsley. Bread and egg help to keep the ingredients together.

Polpette di pollo
Chicken Boulettes 

For the meatballs:
400 g best quality lean minced chicken
20 g bread, crust removed, torn in pieces
Milk to soak the bread
50 g sun-dried tomatoes in oil, chopped
50 g red onion, finely chopped
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
15 g flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Sea salt and black pepper
Plain flour to coat 
For the sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
100 ml dry white wine
1 ladleful vegetable/chicken stock


Serves 4
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
1. In a small bowl, soak the bread in the milk for 10 minutes. Drain and squeeze.

2. In a large bowl, combine the meat with the bread, the tomatoes, the onion, the egg, the vinegar and the parsley. Season with salt and black pepper. Use your hands to mix all the ingredients thoroughly.

3. Flour your hands. Shape the mixture – about one tablespoon at a time – into balls, with the help of your hands. Coat each one with more flour. Arrange them on a chopping board.

4. In a large frying pan, heat the oil and sauté the meatballs on medium-high heat, until nicely brown all over, for 4 to 5 minutes. Stir and roll frequently.

5. Pour in the wine and leave to evaporate. Pour in the stock and lower the heat. Cover the pan with a lid. Cook gently for 15 minutes, over low heat. Stir occasionally.

6. Serve with any grain you like. Here I serve my boulettes with freekeh dressed with basil pesto and sun-dried tomatoes.