Ligurian meatloaf: the traditional recipe for potato and green bean flan
ingredients :
Potatoes
1,2 kg
Green beans
600 gr
Grated Parmesan cheese
100 gr
Egg
4
Marjoram
2 sprigs
Bread crumbs
50 gr
Sale
q.b.
baby
q.b.
Nutmeg
q.b.
for the finish
Grated Parmesan cheese
q.b.
Bread crumbs
q.b.
you also need
Butter
q.b.
Bread crumbs
q.b.
Ligurian meatloaf is a traditional recipe belonging to the poor cuisine of Liguria, easy and very tasty. It is a potato and green bean flan , perfect to serve as a single dish for Sunday lunch or for a dinner with vegetarian guests which, despite the name, has nothing to do with the classic meat loaf . It is prepared with a few simple, easily available ingredients: once the boiled potatoes have been passed through a potato masher, and the puree is collected in a bowl, this is enriched with green beans, blanched in boiling water and chopped up, grated Parmesan and eggs, and perfumed with a few leaves ofmarjoram , nutmeg and a sprinkling of pepper.
The result will be a rustic and genuine dish with a soft and slightly stringy heart, and a golden and “sandy” crust on the surface, made even more crunchy and appetizing by the final passage under the oven grill. A tasty and cheap course, typical of the peasant tradition, also perfect as an empty fridge idea . If you like, you can combine any cheese you have at home: emmental, provola, scamorza or prescinsêua , a typical local product with a consistency halfway between yoghurt and ricotta. If you wish you can add aromatic herbs according to personal taste such as thyme, rosemary and sage, or you can combine sautéed courgettes, cubes of ham, bacon or mortadella: for an even richer and more delicious result.
Once ready, you can enjoy Ligurian meatloaf piping hot or at room temperature, or you can prepare it in advance and heat it up in the oven or microwave when serving:
How to prepare Ligurian meatloaf
Step 1
Collect the potatoes in a colander1and wash them well under running water.
Step 2
Transfer them to a saucepan, covered with cold water2, and let them cook for half an hour starting from the boil; then drain them, let them cool down and peel them.
Step 3
Wash the green beans thoroughly3.
Step 4
Tick them off4with the help of a knife.
Step 5
And let them cook in plenty of boiling water5and lightly salted, for about 20 minutes.
Step 6
Mash the potatoes through a potato masher6and collect the puree obtained in a large bowl.
Step 7
Drain the green beans, arrange them on a cutting board and chop them7.
Step 8
Combine the green beans with the mashed potatoes8.
Step 9
Add the grated Parmesan9.
Step 10
Combine the eggs10lightly beaten with the tines of a fork.
Step 11
Perfume with marjoram11.
Step 12
Season with salt12and pepper.
Step 13
Add a pinch of nutmeg and mix all the ingredients well13.
Step 14
Butter a 30 x 23 cm baking dish and sprinkle it with the breadcrumbs14.
Step 15
Pour the potato and green bean mixture into the baking dish15.
Step 16
Level well with the back of a spoon16.
Step 17
Line the surface with the tines of a fork17first proceeding horizontally.
Step 18
And then vertically18.
Step 19
Sprinkle with a generous handful of breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan19, and bake at 180 °C, in static mode, for 50 minutes; then continue cooking for 2 minutes under the oven grill so that a golden crust is created on the surface.
Step 20
Once the cooking time has elapsed, cut the meatloaf into slices and arrange it on individual plates20and serve.
storage
The Ligurian meatloaf can be kept in the fridge, in an airtight container, for a maximum of 2 days .
