Meatballs Sophia Loren

I would be remiss to suggest that I had any part in creating this recipe - I did not. In fact, I found this recipe in a cookbook, the author who in turn got this recipe from the one and only Sophia Loren (for which the name of the recipe is derived). To be completely honest, embarrassingly I had no idea who Sophia Loren was until I came across this recipe; she is an Italian actress and according to her Wikipedia page “one of the greatest stars of classical Hollywood cinema and is one of the last surviving major stars from the era.” A true beauty, I might add.

As the story goes, Mrs. Loren’s long time personal chef, Livia, would make this recipe for her young sons Edorado and Carlo Ponti, and this was their favorite of dishes. I can see why as it’s delicious, creamy, and relatively easy to make. Save for the addition of fresh mint leaves, I’ve left this recipe exactly as it has been made presumably since the 20th Century. Someday I hope to have a son of my own who might also enjoy this dish as much as hers did.

Meatballs Sophia Loren (serves 4)

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef
4 pieces of stale white bread (just leave some out for a while on the counter)
Small handful of mint leaves, chopped
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/3 cup white wine
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
Flour for dredging
Olive Oil
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
Parsley or Mint leaves for garnish, chopped

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, pour in the milk and add the bread. Let it absorb. Squeeze out the excess milk, and save the bread. It will be soggy.

2. In a large bowl combine the ground beef, soggy bread, mint leaves, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Using a spoon, stir and whip everything together until a cohesive mixture forms.

3. Using your hands, shape the meatballs into 1.5 inches in diameter. You should get around 16, give or take a few. Dredge each meatball in flour and gently toss between your hands to remove the excess flour. Set aside.

4. In a large non-stick skillet over medium heat, add enough olive oil to reach about 3/4 inch from the bottom. Once heated, add the meatballs, working in batches if necessary. Cook until meatballs are nicely browned on all sides by periodically stirring them around. They should only have a slight rosy center when cut, around 8 minutes per batch. Remove to a paper towel to drain excess oil.

5. Pour out the oil and wipe the pan clean with a paper towel. To the skillet add the white wine and reduce by a quarter over medium high heat. Lower the heat to medium low and add the chicken broth and cream. Cook for a minute to thicken,, but don’t let it boil as this will cause the sauce to separate. Add the meatballs back to the skillet and cook for a moment longer, making sure to baste everything in the cream sauce. Serve with mashed potatoes and sprinkle on some of the mint or parsley to garnish.