SCARMORZA STUFFED POLPETTE
Meatballs Stuffed With Scarmorza
Serves 6
We always used to serve these meatballs in tomato sauce with the cheese melted on top, then one day I thought, why not stuff them? It was a lightbulb moment. The depth of flavour and added richness to the sugo was incredible. Now, I put these on the menu every winter and as soon as you walk in the door, you can smell the smoky sweetness of the polpette on every table.
Ingredients
Polpette
150 g panko breadcrumbs
⅔ cup water
1.2 kg beef mince
100 g Parmigiano, grated
½ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
¼ cup chopped sage
1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
1 small red chilli, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
5 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons cracked black pepper
300 g scamorza cheese, cut into 1 cm cubes
Olive oil, for drizzling
Tomato Sugo
50 ml oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons dried chilli flakes
120 g tomato paste
100 ml white wine
2 x 800 g cans whole peeled tomatoes, blended
⅓ cup torn basil
3 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons cracked black pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 170°C (fan-forced). Line a baking tray with baking paper.
Place the breadcrumbs in a bowl and mix in enough of the water to form a paste.
Place the beef mince in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and add the Parmigiano, herbs, chilli, garlic, salt, pepper and soaked breadcrumb mixture. Mix on slow speed for 35 seconds, then on medium speed for a further 90 seconds or until combined. Alternatively, mix and knead the mixture with your hands until it just comes together.
Flatten a ping-pong-ball-sized piece of mince mixture, about 30 g, in your hand and place one piece of scamorza in the centre. Roll into a ball to enclose the cheese and place on the prepared tray. Repeat with the remaining mixture. Drizzle with a little olive oil and bake for 10 minutes or until browned.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and sauté the onion, garlic and chilli until they start to caramelise. Mix in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, then deglaze the pan with the white wine. Add the tomato pulp and basil, then bring to the boil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Gently add the polpette and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the meatballs are just slightly pink in the centre and the cheese has melted.
