 Carlino's Ardmore, PA
Meatballs! How many ways are there to make them? What are the ingredients: which the meats to be used? Do you add breadcrumbs? Do you use stale bread soaked in milk? (My mother recalls how that was something she had a tough time when my grandmother, her mother-in-law, showed her that trick.) How about adding things like mustard or ketchup or Worcestershire Sauce? How about using something other than red meats?
For most Italian Americans the meat in meatballs is usually ground beef to which sometimes may be added some ground pork or veal or both. Such were the essentials of the meatballs for Sunday gravy. 
But do all meatballs need to be made from pig or cow? Do they need to be finished in a red sauce? How about meatballs made from chicken? Among any Italian American I know there would be no such thing. But in Italy it seems that they are not so uncommon. Here’s how I found them.
In the refrigerator I had some chicken breasts and a container of ricotta. What, I wondered might I do with these two ingredients. My first thought was simply to spread the ricotta out on the chicken breasts cover them in a slice of ham and roll them up: much like a “cordon bleu," or "involtini." |
But I realized that the ricotta would not hold very well and would probably spill out. So, my next thought was to look online. Google did not reveal too much. Then I went to Google Italy (google.it) and simply entered “pollo, ricotta, prosciutto,” (chicken, ricotta, ham.) The results flowed out one after the other including videos.
http://lericettedellaprovadelcuoco.blogspot.com/2015/03/polpettine-pollo-ricotta-prosciutto-ricetta-moroni-provadelcuoco.html Nearly all of them suggested recipes called variations on “polpettine di pollo.” Now if you go to translate the word “polpettini” you will get “meatballs.” The thing is, in Italy it seems that while the “polpettine” may be a round ball, that is not always the case. They can also be somewhat cigar shaped. Then too, if you continue your online search you will come across “polpettone,” which means something more like “meatloaf.” (the Italian word ending “ –ine” suggests something small, the ending “-one” something big.
The Italian dictionary notes that the word “polpettone” refers to any “chopped meat… mixed with various ingredients …. In the shape of a large, long cylinder. (carne tritata (raram. di pesce), impastata con ingredienti varî, ,……. forma di un grosso cilindro allungato.)
http://www.treccani.it/vocabolario/tag/polpettini/ Serve with peperonata or ciambotta or anything of your choice.
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Equipment
Food Processor Large bowl Skillet Knife Spatula Cutting board Parchment paper (optional) |
Ingredients
Chicken breasts -2 full boneless
Prosciutto - about 12 slices Ricotta - 1 cup Romano cheese - 1 cup Bread crumbs - 1 cup Egg - 1 Salt - good two pinches Pepper Nutmeg - 1/4 teaspoon or so Sage - 1/4 teaspoon or so Chicken stock - 1/4/ cup ( or white wine) Olive oil for frying |
Preparation
Chicken
Dice the chicken. 
Grind
Divide the chicken in and grind a portion at a time using a repeated pulse. Do not go too far or you will have a paste. 
Blend
Begin the blending with a large spatula. 
Meatballs
Shape the meatballs (polpettini) into something like a stubby cigar or a peanut butter Easter egg. They cannot be round! 
Fry
Oil the skillet and set on low heat. DO NOT let the heat go high or you risk burning the prosciutto.. Brown the meatballs on all sides. |
Freeze
Spread the chicken pieces out on a tray lined with parchment and set them in the freezer for 30 - 445 minutes: no longer. (This makes the meat easier to grind.) 
The Mix
Put the ground chicken in a large bowl. Add the ricotta cheese, the Romano cheese, the egg, the breadcrumbs and the spices. 
Hand Mix
Finish mixing by hand until everything is evenly incorporated. 
Prosciutto
Set the meatball on a strip of the prosciutto and roll. You do not need to use a toothpick. The roll will hold on its own. 
Chicken Stock
When all the meatballs are brown, add the 1/4 cup of chicken stock. Simmer for another three or four minutes. Remove the meatballs and let the stock reduce a bit: another minute or so. |
Serve with peperonata or side of your choice
