Best Celery Polpette Recipes

POLPETTE DI PEPPE

Steps:

• Soak the bread in the milk for a few minutes, and remove excess milk by squeezing the bread with your hands. Break up the bread into small pieces and add to a mixing bowl with the ground pork, ground beef, raisins, pine nuts, parsley, basil, Parmigiano cheese, and salt and pepper.
• Add the eggs, and mix until the ingredients are evenly distributed. With your hands, shape the meatballs into the size of golf balls.
• In a large pot, heat the extra-virgin olive oil and cook the onion until translucent. Add the wine, and tomato puree, and bring it to a boil. Add the uncooked meatballs to the pot and let cook on medium heat until cooked through, about 30 minutes.

POLPETTE NAPOLETANE

Steps:

• Put the bread in a small mixing bowl, cover with milk, and leave to soak.
• Chop the parsley and garlic together. Put meat into a large mixing bowl. Squeeze the milk out of the bread and add to meat. Add parsley and garlic. Use your hands to mix the ingredients. Break eggs into the mixture to bind it. Keep mixing. Add the pecorino. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Shape meatballs by hand, make a hole in the top and insert a small piece of mozzarella. Cover it up and pat meatball into shape. Roll them in bread crumbs. Pour olive oil into a frying pan and when it's really hot, fry the meatballs for 5 minutes, or until they have formed a crust. Then turn over. When golden brown and crusty on both sides remove the meatballs from the pan and drain on paper towels.
• Add the meatballs to the tomato sauce, cover and cook very slowly on low heat for 45 minutes, until the sauce is reduced by half.
• Pour enough oil into a saucepan to cover the surface. Add garlic and 3 tins of tomatoes, mashing them slightly. Boil the sauce for 5 minutes and simmer for another 3 minutes.
• Cooking Time: 8 minutes

CELERY LOGS WITH PIMIENTO CHEESE

Steps:

• Combine the cream cheese, mayonnaise, Dijon, adobo and black pepper in the bowl of an electric mixer and mix until totally combined.
• Add the Cheddar and Monterey Jack and mix gently until combined. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure all the ingredients are mixed together.
• Chop 1 tablespoon of the dill. Add the chopped dill and pimientos to the mixture, then season with salt and mix. Place into a container with a tightly fitting lid and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.
• Mound the pimiento cheese into the celery segments. Garnish to your liking with raisins, sriracha, walnuts, cranberries and dill fronds. Serve immediately or return to the refrigerator until ready to serve.

POLPETTE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Mix together the beef, pork, cheese, breadcrumbs, milk, parsley, salt, pepper and eggs in a large bowl, then roll into small balls and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 40 minutes.
• Heat oil in a deep-fryer to 350 degrees F. Fry meatballs for 1 minute. Top with your favorite marinara and freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

POLPETTE ALLA CANTINELLA

Steps:

• Remove the crust from the bread and soak in water until soft.
• In a large mixing bowl put the garlic, ground beef and veal, parsley, salt, pepper, and Parmesan. Squeeze the water out of the bread and add it in small pieces. Combine all the ingredients using your hands. Add eggs and mix thoroughly. Pat the meatballs into small, flat patties. Dust them in flour.
• Heat both oils in a frying pan. When really hot, fry the meatballs for approximately 2 1/2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove the meatballs and place them in a clean frying pan on a medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the wine and the beef stock. Turn up heat and cook for 5 minutes until the sauce thickens.
• Garnish with basil leaves and serve with mashed potatoes.

EGGPLANT CAPONATA (SICILIAN VERSION)

Steps:

• Toss eggplant with salt and place in a colander set over a bowl. Let sit, about 30 minutes. Rinse and pat dry.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add celery; cook, stirring often, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir until onion is soft and lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer mixture to a bowl using a slotted spoon.
• Heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in the skillet. Add eggplant and cook, stirring constantly, until lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in celery mixture, tomatoes, olives, capers, tomato paste, and oregano. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered until caponata is thickened, about 15 minutes.
• Season caponata with vinegar, sugar, salt, and black pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with parsley.