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Cooking Polpo .... Pork and fennel polpette with tomato sauce ... thats meatballs to you and I

Another recipe from the Polpo cookbook. I was inspired to cook this by fellow food fanatic Will Saunders.
Its a really, really....i'll say it again....really, easy recipe. Theres a bit of love required to make the tomato sauce but the polpette are a breeze and the combination of fennel and pork tastes great and just a little bit unusual.
This made enough for a meal for Martha, Joe and I. A 'food parcel' for Joe to take home and a snack for Lisa when she returned from her screen priniting sojourn in Margate. So it would be plenty for six particularly if you paired it with some pasta or other veg.


We had it with a fennel, green bean and rocket salad from the same book.

The sauce (makes 1.5 litres)
ingredients
100ml extra virgin olive oil
1 white onion, finely sliced
1 garlic clove, chopped
1/2 tbsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Small pinch chilli flakes
750g fresh tomatoes
3 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes (try and get really nice ones, defo worth it here)
1 small handful of oregano, finely chopped
Pinch of caster sugar if necessary

Method
Heat half the oil in a large saucepan and sweat the onion, garlic, salt, pepper and chilli on a medium heat for about 15 minutes. When transparent, add the fresh tomatoes and the rest of the oil and cook on a low-medium heat for 15 minutes. Add the tinned tomatoes and bring to a gentle simmer. Leave to bubble on the lowest heat for about 1 hour. Turn off the heat and add the heat and add the oregano and basil. Taste and see if it needs any sugar. When you’re pleased with the taste, blend together with a hand blender or in a food blender.
The Polpette (Serves 6 people)
Ingredients
  • 1.5 kg minced pork
  • 3 medium free-range eggs
  • 150g breadcrumbs
  • Large pinch of dried chilli flakes
  • 20g fennel seeds, lightly toasted and ground in a pestle and mortar
  • Salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1.5 liters tomato sauce
Method
Preheat the oven to 220 degrees. Put the pork, eggs, breadcrumbs, chilli flakes, ground fennel seeds, salt and pepper into a large mixing bown and massage thoroughly. Roll into 45g balls and flace them on a greased baking tray and roast in the oven for 10 minutes, turning once until they are starting to brown.
Poach meatballs in the tomato sauce for 10 minutes. Serve with spaghetti and grate over Parmesan.
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