Escarole meatballs are a delicious way to use leftovers, featuring Neapolitan-style sautéed escarole in one of the most appetizing forms: the meatball.
This escarole meatball recipe further enriches the list of meatball recipes on this blog, including eggplant meatballs and lentil meatballs, just to name a few vegetarian ones.
To prepare these meatballs, start with a base of sautéed escarole in a pan with oil, garlic, black olives, capers, and pine nuts. Then add typical meatball ingredients: stale bread, grated cheese, egg, breadcrumbs, and fresh mozzarella for a gooey center. Once ready, you can either deep-fry them for a tastier version or bake them for a lighter option.
They are perfect as a main course or as finger food to serve during an appetizer.
Now take a minute to read the recipe and then…let’s cook and eat!!
See also
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economic
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Cooking methods: Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 1 head smooth escarole
- 1 clove garlic
- to taste black olives
- to taste pine nuts
- to taste capers in salt (desalted)
- 1 drizzle extra virgin olive oil
- 3.5 oz stale bread (crumb)
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsps grated Parmesan (or Pecorino)
- to taste salt
- 3.5 oz fresh mozzarella (or Provola)
- to taste breadcrumbs
- 1 quart peanut oil
Tools
- 1 Knife
- 1 Colander
- 1 Pot
- 1 Pan
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Slotted spoon
Steps
To make the escarole meatballs, start by cleaning the escarole, cutting the head at the base to keep only the most tender parts of the leaves. If they’re too large, I recommend cutting them in half.
Rinse them well under running water while bringing slightly salted water to a boil in a tall pot to blanch the escarole before sautéing it in a pan.
Once wilted, drain them and leave them in a colander to remove excess water.
Meanwhile, in a pan, heat the oil and sauté a garlic clove along with the previously pitted olives.
At this point, add the escarole and let it absorb the flavors, adding the pine nuts and desalted capers.
Cook for about ten minutes, stirring to prevent sticking, and adjust the salt if necessary.
Once ready, remove the garlic, transfer to a bowl to cool, and chop with kitchen scissors if necessary.
When the escarole is cold, add the soaked and well-squeezed stale bread crumb, the egg, grated cheese, salt, and start kneading to combine all the ingredients.
Then evaluate the consistency of the mixture and, if necessary, add some breadcrumbs.
Proceed to shape the meatballs, placing a piece of fresh mozzarella or provola in the center of each.
Let them rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
After this time, take the meatballs, coat them in breadcrumbs, and fry them (a few at a time) in peanut oil. Turn them during cooking to achieve an even golden color.
Once golden, lift them with a slotted spoon and transfer to a fryer basket to remove excess surface oil.
Consume them while they’re still hot to enjoy the crunchiness of the exterior and the soft, gooey center 😉.
