Wild Fennel Meatballs
Since I went to Sicily, as I told you a few weeks ago talking about the pasta with sardines at sea, I have been cultivating a timid but constant passion for wild fennel.
Wild fennel is a humble plant, it practically grows on its own, and also thrives under adverse conditions. Upon my return from Sicily, I immediately planted it in my balcony, and since then it has been deeply satisfying. There it is, in a small vase, overlooking one of the busiest streets of the city, watered once in a while when I remember, and yet, it continues to generously gift me new branches, also because of the recent rainy spring.
Today I will finally tell you about my favorite wild fennel recipe; I have been wanting to do so for almost a month. I find that wild fennel is good in meatballs, more than in pasta, salads, or omelets; I believe that meatballs best showcase all its flavor. If you can get a few tufts of our favorite seedling, you must try to prepare the wild fennel meatballs.
Wild Fennel Meatballs
Ingredients
- 180 g of wild fennel boiled and drained
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon of grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon of bread crumbs
- oil for frying
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- The best way to preserve wild fennel is to blanch and freeze it, so our recipe begins with the fennel previously boiled and promptly defrosted for the occasion.
- Chop the boiled wild fennel and transfer it into a bowl with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Add the beaten egg and a spoonful of grated Parmesan into the fennel bowl, then mix with a fork.
- Adjust the consistency of the dough with the breadcrumbs, and form the flat meatballs, which must be soft but keep their shape.
- Heat about an inch of oil in a pan and when it is very hot, at about 180°C (you can check the oil temperature with the apple trick), gently slide in the meatballs.
- Cook, or rather fry, the meatballs for a couple of minutes on both sides, and then drain them on a paper towel.
- Serve the meatballs warm, or at room temperature, accompanying them with a fresh salad.
