Insalata Russa And Aubergine balls

Insalata Russa (Russian salad)

Ingredients:

2 large red skin potatoes, scrubbed, cut into 1cm cubes

2 medium-sized carrots, peeled, cut into 1cm cubes

300g frozen peas

10g white wine vinegar (2.25 teaspoons)

2 tablespoons (40ml) extra virgin olive oil

4 eggs

12 salted capers, rinsed, drained, chopped

1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Sea salt, freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Boil potatoes and carrots and allow to cool.  Ensure they are just right, do not over cook as you don’t want mash!! 😂. Cook peas separately.  Boil the eggs, they should be hard boiled.  Mix ingredients together once cooled and add mayonnaise.  You can make a homemade mayonnaise if you wish.  Always so delicious.

Tonight’s dish polpette di melanzane. (Aubergine balls)also known as eggplant!

Ingredients:

3 large aubergines

100gr pecorino Romano grated

100gr parmigiano reggiano 

2/3 cups of soft breadcrumbs

Handful of finely chopped parsley

2 eggs beaten

Method:

I baked aubergines in the oven for about 40 minutes at 175 degrees Celsius, about 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Then allowed to cool.  Peeled the skin off and drained them a little.  Cut them into pieces then added 100gr pecorino Romano and 100gr of parmigiano reggiano, 2 eggs, 2/3 cups of soft fresh breadcrumbs and a handful of freshly cut parsley.  I added salt and pepper and then mixed ingredients together.  Make them into balls.  If you wish you can put a little bit of mozzarella in the middle of your ball. We didn’t with these but we often do.  Then put in the fridge to rest for 30 minutes.  

Put a pan on your cooker with a little olive oil and shallow fry your balls. You could also put them in the oven to bake instead, just put in a little drizzle of olive oil on each one. (The healthier option.  We shallow fried them.

Once cooked you could either put a cocktail stick in and make a dip and they will become great party finger food or, you can blend some plum tomatoes fill your pan with your balls with the blended tomatoes and allow to cook for about 30 minutes.  Buon appetito