As a starter, side dish or main, potato and cauliflower balls are easy to make and incredibly delicious. Let’s take advantage of the availability of the first cauliflowers to make this lip-smacking recipe.

Ingredients for 4 people
White potatoes, 350 g
Cauliflower, 350 g
Grated parmesan, 20 g
Eggs, 1
Breadcrumbs, a couple of tablespoons
Chopped parsley, 1 tablespoon
Extra virgin olive oil, 3 tablespoons
Nutmeg, to taste
Salt, 2 pinches

Preparation
Clean the cauliflower and remove the florets, then run them under some water. Wash the potatoes, peel them and steam them for half an hour. Once they have cooked for 10 minutes, add the cauliflower and cook it together with the potatoes for another 20 minutes. Use a fork to check their texture and, when the vegetables are soft enough, turn them into mash using a food mill or a hand-held blender. Add a pinch of salt and nutmeg, then the egg and grated parmesan, finally mix until you get a fairly compact mixture. Shape it into little balls, cover them with breadcrumbs mixed with the chopped parsley, then place them on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Pour a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil onto the balls, then bake at 180°C for about 20 minutes, turning them half way through. Take them out of the oven, season with salt and serve, perhaps with your choice of sauce. To make the bread coating even crispier, fry them instead of baking them.

Image by Ana Belen Garcia Sanchez from Istockphoto