Mortadella meatballs are one of Negroni’s most popular recipes but, like all smart chefs, we have decided to create a variation on the theme by giving them a touch of freshness, thanks to the addition of lemon zest. So mortadella meatballs will be an excellent solution as a starter, perfect as a main course when dining with friends or family, or as a home-made appetizer. 

Served with plantain chips, your mortadella meatballs will have a particularly exotic flavour worthy of a rather special evening meal.

The Recipe:

• To make the mortadella and lemon meatballs, first boil the potatoes. When ready, peel and mash them with a fork.
• Mince the mortadella in a mixer and blend with the potatoes, adding an egg, salt and nutmeg to the mixture.
• Finally, add the zest of half an untreated lemon. The mixture should be firm enough to enable you to shape the meatballs.
• Each meatball must be rolled in the breadcrumbs before being fried in hot oil.
   

To make the plantain chips peel the bananas and then use a knife or a mandolin cutter to slice them finely. Pour 3 or 4 spoonfuls of oil into a sufficiently large dish followed by the plantain slices. Add salt, pepper and chili pepper together with the turmeric and mix well using your hands so that all of the slices are well coated. Pre-heat the oven to 190° and in the meantime arrange the plantain slices on a greaseproof paper-lined oven tray. Pop in the oven for 10 minutes checking every now and then to ensure that the plantain does not burn. As soon as they are crisp and golden, remove from the oven and serve nice and hot.