Baked Italian Turkey-Chicken Loaf

Polpettone di Tacchino e Pollo al Forno

The original recipe used ground veal and pork – very delicious as well. Because Wally was not crazy about veal or pork, I got him to like this version which only uses ground chicken and turkey. I noticed a huge difference in flavor when the ground turkey was from the thigh rather than breast portion – the fat from the thigh does add a lot more flavor to the loaf.
The title of this dish in Italian means huge meatball – that is the way Italians view meatloaf. We first had it in Sicilia at our flat after having inquired about what our neighbor was cooking that smelled so delicious. What memories – they were the nicest neighbors – explaining how to make regional specialties, fix the electricity when it went out, and go about visiting some of the unique monuments of the city. There is no better way to travel than to be among the native people – just think of all the great home-cooked dishes we would have missed by traveling with a group of English-speaking tourists!

I hope you enjoy this dish as much as we have.
Ingredients for 6:

½ lb ground chicken

½ lb ground turkey (thighs)

¾ lb of stale Italian bread
A little cold milk to soften bread

¼ lb sliced ham

¾ lb of fior di latte (buffalo mozzarella) or mozzarella

3 T grated Parmigiano Reggiano

2 eggs and 1 egg yolk

½ glass extra-virgin olive oil

Sea salt to taste
Pepper (optional)
Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350ºF.
In a bowl, soften the stale bread in cold milk, breaking it up into small bits. Then in a bigger bowl, mix it in with the ground turkey and chicken, the Parmigiano Reggiano, two whole eggs plus one yolk, the salt, and the [pepper]. When the mixture is perfectly homogenous, spread it out flat into a rectangle of ½ inch thickness on some parchment paper, and, starting from the center, lay out the mozzarella and ham.

Roll up the meatloaf, using its parchment paper as you roll. Roll in such a way as to prevent the stuffing from coming out the sides.

Spread the oil on an oven pan that will be used for the loaf. Place the loaf in the pan and cook for about 20 minutes or until completely cooked. Serve it hot, with the mozzarella streaming at the moment of cutting. This is also good eaten cold.

Buon appetito!