Polpettone Primavera

“Think pink”, so sang Kay Thompson in Funny Face. Well in a way I have, although the pink is very much from the stripy saline meat wrapping that envelopes this creation: Meatloaf.

Meatloaf. Sadly, the name does not make you salivate in anticipation yet there is something about the dish that gets me excited and reminds me of sunny summer days to come (coughs aside): a slice of rested and slightly above room temperature meatloaf served with a simple green salad, something like lambs lettuce a drizzle of vinaigrette and you are there. Perhaps the word Polpetonne could conjure up a more emotive reaction, an Italian word that brings colour to something that sounds, in English anyway, rather bland if not plain blunt.

The main meat is minced veal but you can add a variety of meats to this. I have mixed the veal with pork mince, though chicken works well (turkey mince I am not so sure about and a friend suggested sausage meat which is, of course, an abomination). What keeps this dish moist and light is the bread: a secret I learnt from Marcella Hazan (no not from her personally, nor as with Amy Adams’ character Julie Powell do I ‘imagine her in my kitchen with me’ that would be creepy!).

Lining the loaf tin with strips of pancetta gives it the streamer like colourful appearance and also helps with the moisture (there is a lot of liquid to drain at the end but don’t worry). Parma Ham creates a nice envelope to serve on the plate as well but you will need a super sharp knife to cut through it. The zing of spring, so to speak, comes from the tangy zest of lemon and also the seasonal stems of asparagus, hence the Primavera in the name.

Polpetonne Primavera

500g veal mince

500g pork mince

1 onion fine chop

1 stick celery fine chop

2 cloves garlic minced

1 slice of bread about 1 inch thick crusts removed

Full fat milk

2 eggs (medium) beaten

1 handful (apologies for loose measures) grated parmesan cheese

Zest of 1 lemon

5-6 Asparagus stems

2 packs pancetta strips (approximately 30)

Oven to 180C (375F, Gas 4) 

Stage 1:

First place the bread slice in a milk pan and pour the milk in until it reaches half way up the bread. Place on the hob and bring to the boil then remove the pan from the heat to cool (flip it over carefully to ensure the milk infuses evenly). The milk should be thoroughly absorbed but it is a rough measurement.

Stage 2:

Next sweat the onions and celery very slowly in a sauté pan avoiding browning. Once done stir in the garlic, heat through and remove the pan from the heat.

Stage 3:

Blanche the asparagus for a minute in boiling salted water and then plunge into cold water.

Stage 4:

Roll up the sleeves and put the mince into a large mixing bowl. Add the onions, celery and garlic to the minced meat, take the cooled bread from the pan (if there is any liquid left over, leave it in the pan) and add that as well as the eggs. Finally, add the zest of the lemon and parmesan cheese. Mix thoroughly to ensure there are no clumps of the bread in the mix.

Stage 5:

The fiddly bit. Line a 2LB loaf tin with the pancetta (remembering that the bottom of the tin is the top side for presentation). Pack the meat mixture into the loaf tin quite tightly up to half way. Then get three of the asparagus stems and lay them out, tips in, base to the edge, one way and the others the other way. They should be evenly spaced and not crowded. Pack the rest of the meat on top, pressing down firmly. Then flip the hanging pancetta ends over the meat to cover. Place in the oven on a tray for an hour to an hour and a half or until the meat is cooked through thoroughly (use a skewer, insert into the loaf, hold for 10 seconds, remove and then tap on either the pulse side of your wrist or on the back of the hand, if it is hot you are done). Drain any excess juices carefully before turning out onto a serving plate. Leave to rest for a few minutes.

Serve in thick slices garnishing with lambs lettuce or other greens.

For a spring lunch with friends think pink, unwrap a meatloaf dish and serve with a chilled rosé.