Shared by Italo Camerino
Shared by Italo Camerino
Chicken Meatballs With Celery
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Chicken Meatballs With Celery
Yield: 4 to 6 servingsFamily Journey
Rome
Montreal
Italo Camerino's parents both lived in Rome's Jewish ghetto when it was raided by Nazi soldiers on October 16, 1943. While many perished, they both survived. This is a recipe they made for Italo when he was growing up in Montreal.
This recipe was shared by Italo Camerino. Read more about his family in " How Roman Jewish Recipes Endured at One Family’s Home in Montreal" and try his recipes for carciofi all giudia ('Jewish style' fried artichokes), spaghetti al tonno (spaghetti with tomatoes and tuna), and aliciotti con indivia (anchovies with escarole).
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground chicken, dark meat
- 1 egg
- 3 tablespoons breadcrumbs
- 3 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 celery stalks, cut into 3 to 4 inch pieces crosswise
- 1 cup water
Preparation
Step 1
In a medium sized bowl, mix the ground chicken, eggs, breadcrumbs and 2 teaspoons of salt and ⅛ teaspoon pepper.
Step 2
After mixing, shape the meat into palm size oval balls, about 3 inches long.
Step 3
Place oil in a pot on the stove at medium heat.
Step 4
Brown chicken meatballs on all sides, about 5 minutes each side. Transfer to a paper towel lined tray and continue cooking the rest of the chicken in batches.
Step 5
Once all the chicken has been cooked, transfer back into the pan. Add the celery, 1 teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon pepper and 1 cup of water. Bring the water up to a boil and reduce heat to low, cooking the chicken with a gentle simmer. Cover the pot with a lid and cook for about 1 hour to 1 hour and 30 minutes, until the water is reduced into about ¼ cup and the celery is cooked through. Shaking the pot every once in a while to ensure the chicken does not stick to the pot.
Step 6
Serve hot with rice or mashed potatoes.
