Ingredients

• 1 chicken carcass
• ½ onion
• ½ stick of celery
• ½ leek
• 1 bay leaf
• 5 black peppercorns
• 1 small sprig fresh thyme
• 50ml/2fl oz olive oil
• 2 large onions
• thinly sliced
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 litres/3½ pints full-fat milk
• pinch sea salt
• 2 lemons
• juice only
• 100g/3½oz butter
• 50g/1¾oz fresh breadcrumbs
• 500g/1lb 2oz pork mince
• 100g/3½oz finocchiona salami (salami with fennel)
• finely chopped
• 1 free-range egg
• pinch fennel seeds
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• leaves only
• finely chopped
• 1 sprig fresh oregano
• leaves only
• finely chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• plus extra for drizzling
• 1 fennel head
• very thinly sliced (use a mandoline
• if available)
• 50g/1¾oz Parmesan cheese
• grated
• 2 tbsp pine nuts
• toasted
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

• For the chicken stock
• put all the stock ingredients in a large saucepan. Cover with cold water and slowly bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 3 hours. Skim off any fat from the surface
• the more fat you remove
• the clearer
• and therefore purer
• your stock will be.
• Strain the stock through a sieve lined with a fine cloth. Slowly pour it through - don’t press or it will become cloudy. Pour the strained stock into a clean saucepan and simmer until the volume of liquid has reduced by half. Strain again and chill.
• For the onion jam
• heat the olive oil in a saucepan. Add the onions and bay leaf and cook gently until soft. Cook over a low heat for about an hour
• or until the onions are golden-brown and their natural sugars have caramelised. Remove from the heat. When cool
• place in a airtight container and transfer to the fridge.
• To make the ricotta
• heat the milk until just below boiling
• then add the salt and lemon juice. Remove from the heat and set aside for 10 minutes. After this time
• the milk should be curdled. Strain through a muslin cloth and leave to rest for 30 minutes (leave for longer if you prefer a drier ricotta). Store in an airtight container and in the fridge.
• Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4.
• For the meatballs
• melt 50g/1¾oz butter in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs and toast until golden-brown
• stirring often. If they start to colour too quickly
• lower the heat. Set aside to cool.
• Mix the mince
• salami
• egg
• fennel seeds and herbs in a bowl. Roll into golf-ball size balls using your hands. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a frying pan
• then add the meatballs and fry them all over to seal. Transfer to an ovenproof dish.
• Put the fennel and a tablespoon olive oil in the pan and cook gently for about 10 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of the onion jam and all of the chicken stock. Bring to the boil
• then reduce the heat and simmer until the volume of liquid has reduced by three-quarters. Add the remaining butter and swirl it around so it emulsifies and combines into a sauce. Season with salt and pepper and pour the mixture over the meatballs.
• Bake the meatballs for 10 minutes
• then remove
• sprinkle with Parmesan and spoon over a few tablespoons of ricotta. Return to the oven for 5 minutes
• or until the Parmesan has browned. Sprinkle the reserved breadcrumbs and pine nuts evenly over the top and serve immediately.