Easter Meatloaf is a dish that can be part of your Easter menu because it can also be enjoyed cold the next day for Easter Monday for the classic picnic. Its filling is really tasty and nutritious which is highlighted when cut.
Easter is a religious holiday and above all an opportunity to get together with family and friends for a substantial lunch whose menu varies according to the traditions of the different Italian regions. There are many recipes, but at the end of the meals we always find the Easter dove and the chocolate eggs, with their surprises, are always present.
The arrival of Easter often coincides with the end of winter and the coming spring stimulates the desire to celebrate with tables full of delicious traditional Italian dishes. The religious aspect, which is the predominant one for the Christian religion, celebrates the Resurrection of Jesus and this miracle symbolically represents Rebirth, in all its meanings.
The egg has become the symbol of rebirth for 1600 years, but already in ancient Rome and Greece eggs were donated to testify to the advent of spring and, for the Christian religion, the resurrection of Jesus.
Other symbols are the olive tree and the dove which in the stories of the Bible represent the earth that flourishes again after the universal flood and the symbol of peace and purity; the rabbit is also an Easter symbol as a sign of fertility and rebirth.
Finally, the lamb is the Christian symbol of the Sacrifice of Jesus and was already born in the Jewish Easter as a gift; in fact, we speak of a "sacrificial lamb"; This gives rise to the custom of giving lamb-shaped sweets and consuming lamb or kid-based dishes on Easter day. Here too the recipes are numerous: baked with potatoes and artichokes, or stewed or hunted, but there are also now many who find it unethical to eat such young animals and turn to other equally tasty dishes, such as veal, of beef or turkey or guinea fowl and also minced meat, as well as Easter cakes such as the Pasqualina cake or the Castiello and the Tortano typical of the Campania tradition.
Obviously eggs are present in all Easter menus, from appetizers to desserts or, as in the recipe we propose today, inside the meatloaf placed on a bed of wild herbs sautéed in a pan with shallots.
We can collect the wild herbs to use by walking in the fields in spring and coming across borage, nettle or dandelion. You absolutely cannot miss the extra virgin olive oil which will give that extra taste by balancing all the flavors of the various components, from the strongest to the most delicate.
Olive oil, which is always extra virgin, is used daily in our cuisine and we now know that the panorama of Italian production offers us different tastes and compositions. The cold pressing of freshly picked olives guarantees us its healthy effect with its excellent nutritional qualities and is a permanent part of our daily diet in the preparation of our dishes with the most disparate uses: as a condiment, for cooking or for frying since its high smoke point guarantees its resistance to high temperatures.
Science now tells us that the high content of antioxidant polyphenols and the right content of polyunsaturated fats make it an essential food in our diet, especially the Mediterranean one, identified as the healthiest and most balanced by all nutritionists in the world and recognized as an intangible heritage. of humanity. Its composition, made of whole grains, fruit, vegetables, very little white meat and above all extra virgin olive oil, has been recognized as fundamental for combating the typical evils of modern society, combating cholesterol and helping to reduce cardiovascular diseases, today the main cause of death along with cancer.
An extra virgin oil can be defined as such if it respects some basic procedures: the harvested olives must not be contaminated by chemical treatments, pesticides or fertilizers, the milling and all processing must take place at a low temperature, not exceeding 24°-26° degrees and the extracted oil must have an acidity of less than 0.8%.
The varieties of olives from which the oil is obtained are many, in Italy there are more than 600 cultivars and these characterize the flavor of the extra virgin olive oil and its subsequent use.
Today's recipe is prepared with the “Rotondella” monovarietal extra virgin olive oil from the Madonna dell'Olivo company and can be purchased on Olievo.eu, the first Italian marketplace that offers a panorama of excellent EVO oil from Italian mills of high professionalism, passion and love for the land and for this essential product for our cuisine. The mission of Olioevo.eu is to promote and distribute 100% extra virgin olive oils coming from healthy and environmentally friendly agriculture, with a cultivation method with low environmental impact. This is what makes the oils healthy and genuine products, with quality certifications. This makes it an elegant showcase where you can discover the excellence of the Italian gastronomic panorama with niche or more widespread oils from companies that are the true pride of our country and, even if little known, allow us to appreciate true specialities, rediscovering flavours, scents and aromas new.
The simple and cutting-edge navigation system within the site allows you to satisfy every search and find the desired product with ease. Olievo.eu offers a wide choice of extra virgin olive oils from all Italian regions with DOP or IGP certifications and which have received Italian and international recognition and awards, as well as dermocosmetics products, accessories and kitchen objects made by master craftsmen.
The “Rotondella” monovarietal extra virgin olive oil from the Madonna dell'Olivo company, the protagonist of our recipe today, is a pitted extra virgin olive oil, obtained from the Rotondella monocultivar. The Madonna dell'olivo production company was founded in 2003 in Serre in Campania and stands out for the production of monovarietal oils from an olive grove of 6 hectares, with over 2000 olive trees. The oil mill The company uses a continuous cycle oil mill with cold pressing from pitted olives and the oils produced respect the environment and are obtained with the use of the most modern production technologies, supported by a research laboratory that monitors the varieties of the territory, thus guaranteeing the goodness and quality of the oils.
The Monovarietal “Rotondella” has a flavor rich in balsamic hints such as rosemary and mint, with spicy notes of black pepper and cinnamon. On the palate, flavors of artichoke, chicory and thistle emerge, with pleasant bitter and spicy notes. It is a perfect oil for seasoning raw bruschetta, carpaccio and salads, but it also goes well with red meat, sausage and mature cheeses, thanks to its strong flavour.
Let's get to our recipe for Easter meatloaf with hard-boiled eggs, wild herbs and “Rotondella” monovarietal extra virgin olive oil from the Madonna dell'Olivo company:
Ingredients for the filling:
500 grams mixed minced meat
200 grams of sausage
5 eggs and one yolk (4 of which we will boil, one is for the dough)
50 grams of grated cheese
100 grams of breadcrumbs
400 grams of wild herbs
100 grams of speck
salt
“Rotondella” Monovarietal Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Madonna dell'Olivo company
1 glass of dry white wine
Preparation:
We prepare the meatloaf starting with the minced meat and the sausage, from which we will have removed the skin and mashed the meat with a fork, in the same bowl. Subsequently, we clean and wash the vegetables carefully, then chop them finely with the help of a food processor. In a pan, brown the vegetables cut into small pieces with a drizzle of “Rotondella” Monovarietal Extra Virgin Olive Oil from the Madonna dell'Olivo company.
Once browned, add an egg, 50 grams of grated cheese and grated bread to the meat, mixing the mixture well. We spread the meat on a sheet of baking paper and in the center we arrange the browned vegetables, the slices of speck and the hard-boiled eggs, then we close everything giving it the classic shape of meatloaf.
Transfer the meatloaf to a baking tray lined with baking paper, adding a drizzle of “Rotondella” Monovarietal Extra Virgin Olive Oil from the Madonna dell'Olivo company and a glass of dry white wine. Bake at 180 degrees for 35/40 minutes, turning it from time to time during cooking.
And here's our delicious Easter meatloaf with hard-boiled eggs, wild herbs and “Rotondella” monovarietal extra virgin olive oil from the Madonna dell'Olivo company, available on OlioEvo.eu.
Until the next recipe!
