The nice walk in the countryside a few weeks ago yielded its fruits through the collection of some genuine and fragrant garden products! Among these, wild fennel, one of the most ancient and aromatic spontaneous plants in Mediterranean cuisine. Here with us, specifically, fennel is the trademark of the famous pasta with sardines, or as we call it in Catania, pasta chi masculini. But let’s not forget that it can be used to flavor many other dishes based on fish, legumes, or in soups. In the Ragusa area, for example, it is used to flavor a typical dish such as macco of broad beans and in some Sicilian towns, it is also used to flavor sausage or vegetable mixes and even tomato salad. In line with this type of use, I chose to flavor my lentil meatballs, with an overwhelmingly surprising final result! In their simplicity, these meatballs will win you over with their unusual and delicious flavor, and at the same time, you can bring to the table a dish that is a source of vegetable proteins, rich in important nutritional properties, including fiber and minerals from lentils, and the digestive qualities typical of fennel. Therefore, if you have the opportunity to find even just one sprig, let yourself be tempted by this healthy culinary experiment, which will not leave you disappointed at all!
All “vegetarian” recipes are free of meat and/or fish (Note: other animal protein-based foods, such as eggs and cheese, may be used).
CURIOSITY: Did you know that from an herbalistic point of view, fennel has digestive and medicinal functions through its seeds and essential oils? It stimulates diuretic function, increases milk production, and calms whooping cough and asthma. Today wild fennel can also be found cultivated in pots, obtained from seeds collected in summer on spontaneous plants that, when sown in autumn, are then marketed in spring as young plants with 5 or 6 leaves. If you decide to buy one of these potted plants, rub the leaves and smell them well, only if it tickles your nose will you be sure to bring home genuine wild fennel.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 16
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients:
- 8.11 oz cooked lentils
- 1 potato (medium)
- 1.41 oz Parmigiano Reggiano DOP (grated)
- 5 tbsps breadcrumbs (+ as needed for breading)
- 2 eggs
- 1 sprig wild fennel
- 1 bunch parsley
- 2 leaves mint
- 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- as needed salt
- as needed pepper
Preparation
Boil the potato in salted water for about 25 minutes or until a fork can easily pierce it. Once cooked, pass it through a potato masher and mash it into a puree. Combine in a large bowl with the well-drained lentils.
Add 1 egg, the herbs, such as mint, parsley, and finely chopped fennel, a pinch of salt and pepper.
Pass everything through a food processor, adding the grated parmesan.
Grind everything until reduced to a puree, gradually adding the tablespoons of breadcrumbs.
If the mixture is too soft, add more. Then, with slightly damp hands, take some mixture and form meatballs slightly larger than a walnut.
First pass them in the second beaten egg with a pinch of salt.
And then in the breadcrumbs.
Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and drizzle with a good amount of oil.
Preheat at 355°F (180°C) for 20 minutes, then turn them over and continue cooking for another 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.
And voilà… the lentil and wild fennel meatballs are ready to be enjoyed!
Enjoy from La Cucina di FeFè!
Storage
👉You can store the meatballs in the fridge for 3-4 days in refrigerator-safe containers.
How can the eggs be replaced in the recipe?
It is possible to replace the egg in the mixture with another boiled potato and simply omit the step of dipping in beaten egg, placing the meatballs, once formed, directly on the baking sheet.
