Polpettone Stuffed With Eggplant And Provolone Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350. Oil a 10-inch-long roasting pan, and line with parchment.
• Cut the eggplant into small pieces. Heat a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Stir in 1/4 cup of the oil, then add half the eggplant and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer the eggplant to a paper-towel-lined platter, and cook the remaining eggplant with 1/4 cup of the oil; transfer to the platter.
• Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the skillet along with the garlic cloves and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 4 minutes. Chop the tomatoes, and add to the skillet with a large pinch of salt and some pepper, and cook until their juices have evaporated, about 3 minutes. Stir in the basil and reserved eggplant, then remove the skillet from the heat. Discard the garlic, and season with salt to taste.
• Tear the bread into pieces and place in a bowl, then cover with the milk and let stand for 5 minutes. Squeeze the bread, and discard any excess milk; whisk in the Parmesan and eggs with the bread, along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the meats, combining well with your hands.
• Place a piece of parchment paper on a work surface. Using your hands, pat the meat mixture into a 10-by-8-inch rectangle (about 3/4 inch thick). Spread the eggplant sauce over top, leaving a 1-inch border, then sprinkle the provolone evenly over the sauce. Using the parchment as a guide, roll the meat around the filling, pinching the ends to seal and form a loaf. (If there is excess meat, cook and eat it separately.) Carefully transfer to the roasting pan.
• Brush the meatloaf with some oil, then bake until cooked through, about 45 minutes.

Steps:

• Put bread cubes in a small bowl, cover with cream and set aside to soak until softened, about 10 minutes.
• Put beef, pork and veal in a mixing bowl. Season with salt, pepper, cayenne, nutmeg, rosemary, thyme, sage and parsley. Add Parmesan and, using hands, knead seasoning into meat. Combine soaked bread (and any remaining cream) with beaten eggs, then pour mixture over seasoned meat and knead until well combined.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-by-18-inch baking sheet with parchment or foil. Press ground meat mixture evenly over parchment to make a flat rectangle slightly smaller than the baking sheet. Top with slices of mortadella. Scatter cooked spinach evenly over mortadella. Break provolone slices into rough pieces and distribute over surface. Finish with hard-cooked egg chopped into chunks.
• Using parchment to help, roll the meat into a long cylinder with filling on the inside. With the long side facing you, first lift parchment and use it to roll meat to the center, pressing down to keep it in place. Then lift parchment on the opposite long side, bringing meat just past the center to overlap itself slightly. Pinch the "seam" of the meat together to keep filling in place. Sprinkle with half the dry crumbs. You will now have a cylinder approximately 15 inches long. Twist ends of parchment to firm the mixture, then transfer to a deep-sided baking dish or roasting pan, and place it seam-side down. Carefully remove and discard parchment. With hands, press firmly to form cylinder into a long loaf with rounded ends. Dust top and sides with remaining bread crumbs. (The polpettone may be prepared to this point several hours, or up to 24 hours, in advance; keep refrigerated and bring to room temperature before baking.)
• Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until internal temperature is 140 degrees. Let rest for 10 minutes and cut into 1-inch-thick slices and serve. (Alternatively, cool to room temperature and refrigerate for up to 3 days. If serving cold, cut thinner slices.)