Chicken meatloaf

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PRESENTATION

Raise your hand if you love meatloaf! Classic or stuffed, with a scamorza cheese or spinach heart, this second course is always a guarantee for making everyone happy, at the table at least. This time however, we have chosen white meat instead of usual beef or veal, to create a delicious chicken meatloaf! Soft and succulent, like any self-respecting polpettone should be, it is very easy to make, even for less expert hands in the kitchen. Staunch traditionalists will pair it with essential roast potatoes, while innovators will perhaps opt for a delicious winter salad; but whatever the side dish, chicken meatloaf will remain the undisputed star of the table, worthy of a standing ovation!

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INGREDIENTS
Chicken 1 lb (800 g) - ground
Mortadella with pistachio 7 oz (220 g)
Edam cheese 5 oz (150 g)
Cow's milk ricotta cheese cup (100 g)
Grana Padano PDO cheese 1 oz (50 g) - grated
Eggs 1
Breadcrumbs 7 tbsp (70 g)
Marjoram 3 sprigs
Extra virgin olive oil 2 tsp (10 g)
Fine salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
Preparation

How to prepare Chicken meatloaf

To prepare chicken meatloaf, start by dicing the cheese 1 and the mortadella 2; place both in the mixer 3

and blend together 4. Remove from the mixer and place in a bowl together with the chicken mince 5, then add the thoroughly drained ricotta 6,

the grated Grana Padano cheese 7, the marjoram leaves 8, the salt 9, the pepper

and the egg 10. Mix by hand to amalgamate the ingredients, add the breadcrumbs 11 and mix some more to obtain a homogeneous mixture 12.

Place the mixture onto a sheet of parchment paper and shape it by hand into a polpettone 13, then wrap it in the same sheet of parchment paper 14 and seal the wrap by folding the ends back down 15. Leave in the refrigerator for at least an hour, so that it firms up.

Once this time is up, remove the parchment paper, heat the oil in a pan or capacious saucepan that is also suitable for oven baking (or you could move the polpettone onto a baking tray later on). Brown the polpettone on each side so that a nice crust forms, using two spatulas or kitchen tongues, so that it doesn't break (16-17-18).

Now cover the pan with a tin foil sheet 19 and bake in a static oven at 390°F (200°C) for 60 minutes. Once cooked (if you have a thermometer, check that the temperature inside reaches 160°F (70°C)), remove your chicken meatloaf from the oven 20, drizzle some of its baking sauce over it and serve 21.

Storage

Chicken meatloaf can be stored in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. If you have used fresh ingredients you can freeze it before or after cooking, but be sure to defrost it in the refrigerator before cooking, or heat it in the oven or in a pan.

Tips

If you want, you can replace the mortadella with cooked ham, or add nuts, like chopped pistachio or hazelnuts.