Meatballs (Polpetes)

• 2 cups stale breadcrumps
• 1 kilo finely minced beef
• 1 cup finely chopped parsley
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 boiled eggs, peeled and left whole
• 3-4 soupspoons flour
• 7 soupspoons olive oil
• Juice from a large lemon

Preparation

1. Soak the bread in water for few minutes, then drain, squeezing it hard to remove all the moisture.
2. Hand-knead the minced meat in a bowl without adding anything for a while. Make a well in the centre and add the breadcrumbs, pepper, salt and knead with quick movements until it becomes a whole mass of mixture.
3. Split the mixture in 4 parts kneading each one making 4 separate flat ovals, being careful that they do not become too thin.
4. Sprinkle each oval with parsley, put the egg in the centre and wrap the egg to form the polpeta making sure that all the ends meet.
5. Sprinkle the polpetes very well with flour. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan, place the meatballs in the frying pan and turn from time to time in order to brown all over. After the polpetes are completely brown, add a cup of water and the lemon juice and let simmer for approx 45'-50' minutes.
6. Let the polpetes cool before cutting them into slices and serve them.