MEATBALLS WITH PARMESAN POLENTA & BUFFALO MOZZARELLA

Recipes & food styling Perrin Yates / Photography Tony Nyberg

	FOR THE MEATBALLS
	125g white bread
	75ml full-cream milk
	500g pork mince
	500g beef mince
	90g panko breadcrumbs
	90g grated parmesan
	2 cloves garlic, crushed
	15g cooking salt
	15g chopped parsley
	2 eggs
	FOR THE TOMATO SAUCE
	100ml olive oil
	5 cloves garlic
	1 tablespoon tomato paste
	90ml red cooking wine
	450g canned, peeled tomatoes (I use Mutti brand)
	caster sugar
	FOR THE PARMESAN POLENTA
	700ml full-cream milk
	40g butter
	20g grated parmesan
	100g fine polenta
	TO SERVE
	buffalo mozzarella
	basil
	freshly shaved parmesan

1.	FOR THE MEATBALLS
2.	Soak the bread in the milk.
3.	Mix all ingredients together until well combined, but do not overwork the mixture.
4.	Roll into 50g balls and place on a tray, cover with plastic wrap and rest in the fridge for 1 hour.
5.	FOR THE TOMATO SAUCE
6.	Heat the olive oil in a large pot, add the garlic cloves and cook until just starting to colour.
7.	Add the tomato paste then deglaze the pan by adding the wine and letting it bubble up, scraping the base of the pan with a wooden spoon.
8.	Add the tomatoes to the pot and cook for 15 minutes.
9.	Blitz the sauce with a hand blender.
10.	Season with caster sugar to taste and salt.
11.	Gently add the meatballs to the sauce, cover with a lid and cook for 15 minutes over a low-medium heat.
12.	FOR THE PARMESAN POLENTA
13.	Heat the milk, butter and parmesan over a medium heat.
14.	Once it starts simmering, slowly add the polenta, while whisking.
15.	Cook for about 8 minutes, stirring constantly. Season with salt.
16.	TO SERVE
17.	Place the polenta on the bottom of a bowl with the meatballs and sauce on top.
18.	Garnish with buffalo mozzarella, basil and freshly shaved parmesan.