When it comes to Italian meatballs, there are polpette (very respectable, of course) and mondeghili. They are an expression of Milanese culture as well as the main culinary legacy of the Spanish. It was the Spanish who introduced them when they ruled the city from 1535 to 1706. In fact, the term mondeghili comes from the Spanish albondigas, which in turn came from what the Arabs called al-bundukc, or fried meatballs. It’s a delicious way of letting nothing go to waste, since the ingredients provided in the first known texts included leftover cuts of beef, enriched with sausage, raw salami, liver mortadella and other pork meat.
The earliest recipe dates back to 1839
With ingredients including potatoes, milk-soaked bread crumb, eggs, cheese, garlic (or onion) and nutmeg, this dish would have been for those with strong stomachs. The balls were fried and served very hot. In the famous Milanese-Italian Dictionary of 1839, author Francesco Cherubini defined the mondeghili as “a type of meatball made with a minced meat, bread, egg and similar ingredients.” Over the past 180 years, the recipe has evolved more in the way the ingredients are used than in the essence of the dish, and without losing its allure as a popular street food. They are perfect to enjoy with an aperitivo, but also for lunch or dinner. In Milan, some people prefer them as an appetizer while others as a main course. At times they can be accompanied by a sauce.
They’re even officially recognized by the city
Is there a precise recipe? Certainly not! But since 2008, it has been officially recognized as a Milanese dish (“Denominazione Comunale”), whose recipe sets out the ingredients for four people: 2/3 pound of boiled beef scraps; one egg; bread crumb (from rosetta bun) soaked in milk, squeezed and sieved; chopped parsley; lemon zest to taste; salt; butter for frying. Creative chefs can add to this and experiment as they wish. For example, master chef Cesare Battisti, owner of the restaurant Ratanà, substitutes veal for beef and mixes in some vegetables, grated Grana Padano cheese, and nutmeg; once dipped in breadcrumbs, he fries them in a mixture of oil and butter. Other chefs include sausage, mortadella or boiled potatoes. Along with the cotoletta, mondeghili inspire the liveliest and most amusing debates among Milan’s culinary set. Here are our favorites in Milan.