Canederli allo speck

How it is made

Quantities are for 4 people. The steps are in the order you do them.

1. cut the stale bread into cubes of one centimetre, put them in a large bowl, pour over the warm milk and leave it five or ten minutes until the bread takes it up and stays damp but not soggy
2. melt 50 g of butter in a pan over a medium heat, soften the onion for two or three minutes until it turns clear, add the cubes of speck and cook another two or three minutes until the fat starts to run, then take it off the heat and let it cool a little
3. beat the eggs and pour them over the bread, add the speck and onion, the parsley and the chives, and work it with wet hands, taking in the breadcrumbs a little at a time until the mixture is firm but still workable: if it stays soft add a spoonful of breadcrumbs, if it is too dry a drop of milk
4. cover the bowl with a cloth and leave it in the fridge for at least twenty minutes, so the canederli hold together better in the pot
5. with damp hands shape firm balls of 60 or 70 g, the size of a plum, roll them in flour and set them on a tray
6. bring a wide pan of salted water or meat stock to the boil, drop it back to a gentle simmer and lower the canederli in one by one: they take ten or twelve minutes and are done when they rise to the surface and stay there a minute or two
7. lift them out with a slotted spoon, melt the other 60 g of butter in a pan and roll them in it for a minute or two until they are coated in golden butter
8. serve at once, with grated parmesan and a scatter of fresh chives if you like