A dish that tastes like home and grandma’s recipe, using leftover boiled meat.
We pair it with Nittardi’s Chianti Classico Belcanto 2022 (which we tasted in our preview), which complements the dish.
Ingredients for 4-5 people:
About 400 g boiled beef; 500 g potatoes that are not new and have floury flesh; 2 eggs; 50 g grated Parmesan cheese; 1 clove of garlic; parsley; a little grated lemon zest; 200 g bread crumbs; salt and pepper; olive or peanut oil for frying.
Directions:
Wash the potatoes and, without peeling them, boil them by placing them in initially cold water.
Clean out the meat from the excessively fatty parts and gristle and mince it with a meat grinder or mixer (in this case, do not over-whisk: the mince should be not too fine).
Remove the inner shoot from the garlic clove and chop it very finely with a small handful of parsley.
When the potatoes are cooked, peel and mash them, dropping them into a bowl.
Combine the meat, cheese, lemon zest, chopped garlic and parsley, whole eggs, salt and pepper.
Knead the dough with your hands for a few minutes so that it is smooth and well blended.
Take a piece and roll it between your hands, giving it the shape of a small sausage, and when the patty is ready, roll it in the breadcrumbs so that it is well coated with them.
Once the meatballs are all ready, fry five or six at a time in very hot oil (170 degrees) and drain them after five or six minutes, when they are nicely browned. Once drained, pass them on a double sheet of kitchen paper and serve them sprinkled lightly with salt. They can be eaten hot or warm but are also excellent cold.
Wine pairing:
(Edited by Stefania Vinciguerra)
Chianti Classico Belcanto 2022 Nittardi
Very intense and concentrated ruby. The olfactory spectrum is crisply fruity, with notes of plum and dark cherry, floral hints of violet and hints of Mediterranean scrub.
On the palate it is medium-bodied, agile and saline, with crisp tannins and a long, fruity persistence.
Production area: municipality of Castellina in Chianti.
One part comes from the vineyards in Nittardi, located at 450 meters above sea level while the other comes from the vineyard south of Castellina in the Villa Rosa area located at 270 meters above sea level.
Both vineyards have medium-deep clay-limestone soils, rich in marl that give good freshness and length to the wines.
Grape varieties: 90% Sangiovese, 10% other native varieties: Canaiolo, Colorino, Malvasia Nera, Ciliegiolo, Mammolo, Foglia Tonda and Pugnitello. The vineyards at Nittardi are planted exclusively with Sangiovese grapes while the vineyard at Villa Rosa, planted in 1968, sees mainly Sangiovese grapes along with seven other native varieties.
The density of vines per hectare varies from 3,000 to 6,660, depending on the age of the vineyards, the yield per hectare is 35-40 hl. Production processes: natural fermentation in stainless steel tanks followed by 12 months in 500-liter tonneau and 3500-liter barrels finally a few months in the bottle.Serving temperature: 16° C.Recommended pairings: appetizers and first courses of creative Tuscan cuisine. Curiosities: sn the label of Belcanto, Michelangelo is depicted on a mosaic of eight Galestro stones, typical for the soil of Nittardi’s vineyards.
The stones are eight precisely because the wine is a blend of eight different native varieties.
PRODUCER
