Mozzarella patties
Recipe by Valentina Harris
SERVES 6
Preparation 30 minutes plus 30 minutes freezing
Cooking 50 minutes
6 tbsp dried breadcrumbs
450g mozzarella
3 large eggs
10 fresh sage leaves
leaves from a sprig of fresh rosemary
1 clove garlic, peeled
3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese or Grana Padano
sea salt and freshly milled black pepper
3 tbsp flour
oil for deep frying
for the spicy sauce
4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1-4 dried red chillies (depending upon how hot you want
the sauce!)
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
500g canned chopped tomatoes, drained if necessary
1 tsp chopped fresh parsley
sea salt
for the tomato sauce
1 medium onion
1 large stick celery
1 large carrot
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
500g fresh or canned tomatoes, or passata
sea salt and freshly milled black pepper
For the spicy sauce, fry the garlic, chilli and olive oil together until the garlic and chilli are slightly blackened. Discard them and add the tomatoes. Season with salt and simmer for about 20 minutes. Take off the heat, add the parsley and stir together.
To make the tomato sauce, peel and chop the onion very finely. Scrape and wash the carrot, then chop finely. Finally, wash the celery, tear away the strings and then chop finely – a few celery leaves would also be welcome. Pour the oil into a heavy-bottomed saucepan and add all the chopped vegetables. Fry together very gently and slowly until the vegetables are soft and the onion becomes transparent. Only at this point, add the tomatoes and stir thoroughly. Cover and leave to simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring regularly. Season to taste and use as required. If you wish to add herbs to this sauce, do so at the end once the sauce is cooked through.
Put half the breadcrumbs into the food processor. Drain and chop the mozzarella into large chunks, then add it to the food processor also. Add one egg, the herbs, the garlic, the cheese, and season to taste. Whiz until you have created a mixture that is fairly lumpy and reasonably dry.
Beat the two remaining eggs together in a bowl. Put the flour and bread crumbs in two separate bowls. Roll the mixture into balls the size of a large walnut between your hands. Roll in the flour, then in the egg, and finally in the remaining breadcrumbs. Flatten lightly between your palms to form a patty shape.
Arrange on a tray and freeze for about 30 minutes, or overnight. Heat the oil until ready to deep fry, then fry the balls in batches until golden and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper and serve hot, with the sauces.
