Preparation

• Clean the wild fennel by selecting the tips, leaves, and the most tender part of the stalk.
  Wash it thoroughly.

  Bring a pot of water to a boil.
  Add the wild fennel and blanch for 2–3 minutes.

  Drain and cool it under running cold water.
  Let it drain well, then wrap it in a kitchen towel and let it dry completely.
  When it is well dried, roughly chop it with a knife.

  

• In a bowl, add:
  • the roughly chopped wild fennel [about 3.5 oz];
  • the ground meat;
  • the whole-wheat breadcrumbs [one measure: 1 Tbsp heaping];
  • the grated cheese [one measure: 1 Tbsp heaping];
  • garlic [optional];
  • a pinch of salt;
  • a pinch of pepper;
  and mix the ingredients.

  Wrap a handful of pine nuts in a sheet of parchment paper and, with the help of a mortar or a meat mallet and cutting board, crush them into coarse pieces.
  Add the crushed pine nuts to the other ingredients in the bowl and mix.

• With your hands form balls, press them slightly [they will come out crispier] and arrange them on a plate, cutting board, or tray.

  To get meatballs as similar as possible I used two spoons.

  

• You can cook your egg-free meatballs with wild fennel in the oven or in an air fryer, in a pan, or in sauce.

  ^{What you should know
  Because this is a ground meat preparation it must always be cooked through and not served rare to avoid the risk of foodborne illness from pathogenic microorganisms.
  On a steak any contamination remains on the surface and is eliminated during cooking.
  That is why you can eat a rare or medium-rare steak.
  In ground meat preparations contamination can spread throughout the product.
  Therefore, when consuming hamburgers, meatballs, or other ground meat dishes it is important that cooking is complete and there are no pink or undercooked areas.}

  Baking
  • Bake at 356°F for 20 minutes in a convection oven.

  Air fryer
  • egg-free meatballs in the air fryer.

  Pan-frying
  • Brush the meatballs on all sides with a little extra virgin olive oil as needed using a silicone brush and cook in a nonstick pan a few minutes per side + a few minutes off the heat with the lid on.

  Cooking in sauce
  • egg-free meatballs in sauce.

• Cooking times can vary depending on the shape and size of your meatballs.

• Your meatballs with wild fennel without eggs light are ready.

  Enjoy your meal!

• Serve them plain or accompanied by homemade tomato sauce.

• • set of measuring spoons;
  • meatball mold;
  • burger press.