Like

Liked by 35

Share

Hot finger food

Bread and cheese Polpette with greens and Grana Padano DOP

Name: Bread and cheese Polpette with greens and Grana Padano DOP
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 4 people
Yield: 4 people
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: Ingredients for the ‘meatballs’: 150 g of grated Grana Padano PDO cheese 2 to 3 eggs 250 g of rustic bread (crust removed) 500 ml of veg oil (for frying) 50 ml of milk (optional) 100 gr of cooked greens, well drained (like spinach) Salt and pepper to taste; For the greens: 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil 1 garlic clove 400 gr of cime di rapa (or other green leaves) 1 red chili optional; For the Grana Padano sauce: 250 ml of double cream 100 gr of grated Grana Padano PDO cheese Salt and pepper (to taste)

Group 393

Medium

Group 382

4 people

30 min

Chef Danilo Cortellini

This traditional recipe inspired by my beloved home region of Abruzzo, it’s a perfect example of what we used to call ‘cucina povera’, the cuisine of the poor. Originally it was made with stale bread and leftover cheese. It shows how Italians were able to make use of humble leftovers and turn them into tasty dishes. These polpette are great as meatless main course, or you can easily served them as appetizer in smaller portions.

Ingredients

Ingredients for the ‘meatballs’:
150 g of grated Grana Padano PDO cheese
2 to 3 eggs
250 g of rustic bread (crust removed)
500 ml of veg oil (for frying)
50 ml of milk (optional)
100 gr of cooked greens, well drained (like spinach)
Salt and pepper to taste

For the greens:
2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove
400 gr of cime di rapa (or other green leaves)
1 red chili optional

For the Grana Padano sauce:
250 ml of double cream
100 gr of grated Grana Padano PDO cheese
Salt and pepper (to taste)

Preparation

STEP 1

Blanch the green leaves in salted boiling water until tender (depending on what type you choose) and cool them in iced water to retain the colour. Keep in mind that leaves might cook in less than 1 minute, quicker than stalks. Heat up a sauce pan and drain the greens.

STEP 2

Fry a garlic clove opened in half with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and when golden add the leaves. Add chopped chilly and season to taste. Stir and fry for about 2 minutes and remove from the heat. Keep some green as garnish, remove the garlic, chop roughly the rest and squeeze out the water in excess.

STEP 3

Take the crust less bread and chop roughly into small cubes. Mix the chopped bread with the eggs, the Grana Padano cheese and the chopped greens. Be careful in adding salt and pepper.

STEP 4

Mix by hands until well incorporated but do not knead for too long, you want a rough feel to it. If the mixture looks to dry and it does not bind together add a splash of milk, on the other hand if it looks too wet add some more chopped bread and/or cheese.
Create small polpette by hands and place them on a platter. Traditionally, they should not be larger than 3 cm.

STEP 5

To prepare the cheese sauce heat up the cream and when hot remove from the heat and put in the grated Grana Padano. Season to taste if necessary. Keep warm but do not overboil it as the sauce could split.

STEP 6

Heat the vegetable oil, ready to fry the polpette for 3-4 minutes until well golden, at a medium temperature. If unsure, cut one open, it needs to be hot in the middle. Drain the polpette from the oil, and dry on kitchen paper.

STEP 7

Spread a generous spoonful of cheese sauce on the centre of the plate and create a base for the polpette with the leaves. Gently place the cheese balls on top and garnish with extra grated Grana Padano if desired and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and chili if you want. Enjoy while hot!

Chef’s tip

I used quite a lot of Grana Padano when making the polpette, therefore be mindful with the salt as the cheese is already rich and tasty.

Related recipes

Medium

4 people

2 h

Beef Tartar with pumpkin, coffee, Grana Padano and hazelnuts

Medium

4 people

45 min

Beans & roasted chestnut soup with Grana Padano rinds

Easy

4 people

20 min

Bruschetta with figs, basil pesto and Grana Padano

Agnolotti cacio e pepe al Grana Padano p

Difficult

4 people

80 min

Grana Padano PDO cheese agnolotti “cacio e pepe”

DISCOVER ALL THE RECIPES

An iconic product

History and heritage

The PDO

Italian classics

Main meals

Breakfast and brunch

Lunch on the go

Sides and snacks

Aperitivi and shares

Pairings

Supply chain and animal welfare

Environmental sustainability

Nutritional education

The foundation

Role: protection and promotion

Key players: the consortium members

Governance and by-laws

Results: production and consumption

Fun facts

Events

News and pressroom

Historical archive

Special projects

Search

Bread and cheese Polpette with greens and Grana Padano DOP

Ingredients

Ingredients for the ‘meatballs’:150 g of grated Grana Padano PDO cheese2 to 3 eggs250 g of rustic bread (crust removed)500 ml of veg oil (for frying)50 ml of milk (optional)100 gr of cooked greens, well drained (like spinach)Salt and pepper to taste

For the greens:2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil1 garlic clove400 gr of cime di rapa (or other green leaves)1 red chili optional

For the Grana Padano sauce:250 ml of double cream100 gr of grated Grana Padano PDO cheeseSalt and pepper (to taste)

Preparation

Blanch the green leaves in salted boiling water until tender (depending on what type you choose) and cool them in iced water to retain the colour. Keep in mind that leaves might cook in less than 1 minute, quicker than stalks. Heat up a sauce pan and drain the greens.

Take the crust less bread and chop roughly into small cubes. Mix the chopped bread with the eggs, the Grana Padano cheese and the chopped greens. Be careful in adding salt and pepper.

To prepare the cheese sauce heat up the cream and when hot remove from the heat and put in the grated Grana Padano. Season to taste if necessary. Keep warm but do not overboil it as the sauce could split.

Heat the vegetable oil, ready to fry the polpette for 3-4 minutes until well golden, at a medium temperature. If unsure, cut one open, it needs to be hot in the middle. Drain the polpette from the oil, and dry on kitchen paper.

Spread a generous spoonful of cheese sauce on the centre of the plate and create a base for the polpette with the leaves. Gently place the cheese balls on top and garnish with extra grated Grana Padano if desired and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and chili if you want. Enjoy while hot!

Chef’s tip

I used quite a lot of Grana Padano when making the polpette, therefore be mindful with the salt as the cheese is already rich and tasty.

Related recipes

Beef Tartar with pumpkin, coffee, Grana Padano and hazelnuts

Beans & roasted chestnut soup with Grana Padano rinds

Bruschetta with figs, basil pesto and Grana Padano

Grana Padano PDO cheese agnolotti “cacio e pepe”

An iconic product

The PDO

Fun Facts

The consortium members

Ingredients for the ‘meatballs’:
150 g of grated Grana Padano PDO cheese
2 to 3 eggs
250 g of rustic bread (crust removed)
500 ml of veg oil (for frying)
50 ml of milk (optional)
100 gr of cooked greens, well drained (like spinach)
Salt and pepper to taste

For the greens:
2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove
400 gr of cime di rapa (or other green leaves)
1 red chili optional

For the Grana Padano sauce:
250 ml of double cream
100 gr of grated Grana Padano PDO cheese
Salt and pepper (to taste)