Sicilian lemon meatballs
As long as I can remember, I have always wanted to visit Italy. When an opportunity finally presented itself, I started discovering from the south. Upon my arrival in Palermo, I quickly learned a few things. Firstly, the locals consider themselves independent from the mainland. Not only do they have their own dialect, they mostly prefer to be called Sicilian rather than Italian. And secondly, the food is even better than I imagined. I instantly fell in love with Sicilian cuisine. The street fare alone deserves odes dedicated to it. People’s ability to turn anything into a meal is fascinating. Hence, the mighty meatballs. As a nation that’s been oppressed for most of its existence, Sicilians were forced to be creative with limited provisions. Meatballs are all over Sicily and it’s a great way to turn a little meat into a satisfying meal. These lemon meatballs is just one example.
Having gone back three times after my initial visit, my only regret is that I was not able to eat and taste more dishes. Unfortunately, no matter how much I tried, I never once managed to consume an entire meal. It’s both admirable and enviable to watch people casually and gracefully put away enormous portions, while you feel like you are at a bursting point and there is still half a plate of food in front of you. I vividly remember ordering pasta alla Norma for dinner at a small traditional restaurant and having an equally sized bowl of grated cheese placed next to it. Because Sicilians are serious about their food.
Leaving Sicily behind inevitably makes you want to recreate a lot of the sampled dishes at home. This recipe for lemon meatballs is adapted from a book my Sicilian boyfriend has personally chosen before we parted ways. So at the very least, it’s got a stamp of approval from a local connoisseur.
Lemon meatballs ingredients:
- 300g ground meat
- 2/3c grated pecorino cheese
- 1/2c breadcrumbs
- 1 lemon
- 1 egg
- 1/2c crisp white wine
- 4 bay leaves
- flour, for rolling
- olive oil
- 250g spaghetti
Directions:
- Zest and juice the lemon.
- In a medium bowl, mix 300g ground meat, 2/3c grated pecorino cheese, 1/2c breadcrumbs, lemon zest, 1 egg, salt and pepper to taste.
- Shape the meat mixture into small meatballs and roll them lightly in a bit of flour.
- Place a pot of water on heat and once boiling, cook the spaghetti for 1 minute less than the package instructions.
- Meanwhile, in a large pan heat a thin layer of olive oil. Fry the floured lemon meatballs for 5 minutes.
- Turn the meatballs over to the other side and fry for 5 more minutes.
- Add 1/2c white wine and let simmer for few seconds.
- Pour in enough hot water to come up to a third of the meatballs and add 4 bay leaves.
- Cook on high heat, shaking the pan occasionally, until the liquid reduces and slightly thickens.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the squeezed lemon juice. Bring to boil.
- Discard the bay leaves and stir in the cooked spaghetti, tossing gently to coat with the pan juices.
This is best served with some grated parmesan and the rest of that white wine you used for cooking.
Adapted from the book Cucina Siciliana by Clarissa Hyman.
