Learn to Make a Puglian Classic - Polpette Di Pane (Bread fritters)

Years ago I hawked around a proposal for a cookery book about using bread, fresh or stale, as an ingredient.  It would probably have been called ‘Use Your Loaf’.   An economical proposal, I thought, particularly prescient as we were just then diving into recession.   Publishers disagreed – not sexy enough as subjects go – and that was that.  

I still believe it could be an enticing, delicious and, damn those publishers, beautifully sexy book.   And once again rather well-timed as we teeter on the dark edge of the no-deal abyss.   In among the multitude of fine recipes, these Puglian polpette de pane (bread and cheese fritters) would feature prominently.  As they do in restaurants and homes right across Italy’s heel.  

 My first polpette experience came in Zia Rosa, a small toasty restaurant in Cisternino’s old town.   It was a chilly night, and the restaurant was sparsely populated apart from one table.  A cheery gaggle of middle-aged guys were tucking into wine and a heap of fritters.   When I asked what they were, the patron grabbed a plate, whipped 4 of their fritters and transferred them instantly my table.   Oh that contraband was good!  The secret, he confided as his friends raised a glass to me, was to use half as much cheese as bread.  

Good bread, gone stale, and good, strong, mature grating cheese are exactly what it takes to create a fine golden puff of a fritter.  My landlady, Anna-Maria uses an aged cacioricotta, which she buys from an elderly lady with only 5 cows to her name.  Mimmo and his customers in the little shop round the corner agree that the Rodez cheese I’m proposing to use is fine, or suggest I try replacing it with pecorino, Grano Padano or Parmesan.   My next door neighbour and her daughter-in-law are emphatic that cacioricotta is totally wrong, and only a well-aged pecorino will do. Basically, you need to lunge for the best, hard, mature grating cheese, that’s got major oomph.  In the UK this will probably mean a good pecorino, Grano Padano or Parmesan. Cheddar, even an all-singing-all-dancing-artisan-extra-mature Cheddar, will still be over-greasy for polpette..

 You don’t have to use all the batter at one go, as it will sit happily in the fridge for a day or two.  Remember to bring it back to room temperature before frying, so that the polpette cook through easily. 

Can you reheat polpette cooked earlier?  Yes, if you must, but they won’t taste half as good. 

Polpette di Pane

Makes plenty, (enough for, at a guess, 6 people before a meal) , eat hot

120g stale bread of decent quality

60-70g finely grated Rodez, mature Pecorino, Parmesan or Grano Padano

4 eggs

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

1 clove garlic, crushed

plenty of freshly ground black pepper

sunflower oil (or a mix of sunflower oil and olive oil) for deep frying

Break the bread up into chunks, crusts and all.  Soak in cold water for 10 minutes or so.   Squeeze out the water and plop into your mixing bowl.  Beat in all the remaining ingredients except the oil.  Don’t add salt – the cheese will be salty enough on its own

 Use a deep-fat fryer if you have one, or if not heat a 7.5-10 cm depth of oil in a saucepan.  Slide in a test-run dessert spoonful of the batter mix and cook until golden brown, turning carefully once or twice.  This should take around 3-4 minutes. If it cooks too quickly, reduce the heat of the oil. 

 Drain the fritter on kitchen paper, and bite into it as soon as the heat will let you.   The outside should be firm with a hint of crispness, the inside tender but set, and divinely cheesy.   Add more pepper if you like.  Now fry the rest of the batter, spoonful by spoonful, until you have a burnished heap of golden fritters.   

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