Chicken and ricotta polpette (meatballs) with brown butter and crispy sage

November 3, 2023

Serving suggestion: These meatballs go well with risoni or orzo pasta (pictured) and a green salad.William Meppem

easyTime:30 mins - 1 hourServes:8

This is a delicious take on the humble meatball, with the inclusion of milky ricotta and the sweet pop of currants making it just that bit more special. The silky sauce scented with sage and garlic further elevates what’s really a pretty simple midweek meal. Serve these with mashed potato or a small pasta, such as orzo (risoni), or simply with plenty of fresh bread to take up the sauce. A green salad completes the picture.

Ingredients

100ml extra virgin olive oil
100g butter
5 garlic cloves, smashed
1 bunch of sage, leaves picked salt flakes and freshly ground
black pepper
1.5 litres chicken stock
3 tbsp cornflour
100g toasted pine nuts

FOR THE POLPETTE

1kg chicken-thigh mince (not too lean)
150g panko crumbs
150g parmesan, finely grated
2 large eggs
3 garlic cloves, finely grated
zest of ½ lemon
20g porcini powder
2 tbsp chicken stock powder
1 tbsp salt flakes
2 tsp ground white pepper
500g ricotta, drained
100g currants, soaked in hot water and drained
200g fine semolina

Method

Step 1
For the polpette, add the chicken, panko, parmesan, eggs, garlic, lemon zest, porcini powder, stock powder and salt and pepper to a large bowl. Incorporate well with your hands until as smooth as possible, then add the ricotta and currants. Combine, but don’t overmix. The ricotta should be visible through the mix.
Step 2
Lightly oil your hands and roll the mixture into balls roughly 50g (they should be a little bigger than golf balls). Coat lightly in semolina and set aside on a tray.
Step 3
Heat the oil and butter in a wide saucepan over medium heat. Add the 2 smashed garlic cloves, fry for about 5 minutes until golden, then add the sage leaves until they crisp up. Remove the garlic and the sage and set aside separately. Season the sage with salt and drain on a paper towel.
Step 4
Turn up the heat to medium-high and seal the polpette in batches. Season with salt and pepper as you go, rolling around to seal on all sides (about 5 minutes per batch). Lift out and set aside.
Step 5
If the butter in the saucepan is burnt, wipe it out and replace with extra butter and oil. Return the polpette and the garlic to the pan and stir through. Add the chicken stock and simmer to cook the polpette through (about 8 minutes). Remove the polpette from the sauce.
Step 6
Combine the cornflour with about 80ml of cold water to make a slurry. Add to the pan and whisk to combine. Bring to a simmer to thicken, then return the polpette.
Step 7
To serve, spoon the polpette into a serving dish and cover with the sauce. Serve with the crisp sage leaves and toasted pine nuts scattered over the top.