Polish Kotlety (Mielone)

 

1 pound (500 g) ground pork or turkey approx. 7% fat

1 small stale bun or ½ large, plus water for soaking,

1 small onion

1 medium egg

⅔ tsp. fine sea salt and ½ tsp. pepper

3-4 T. breadcrumbs for coating

2 T. vegetable oil for frying

 

Prepare bun: Place in a bowl, cover with water and set aside for 10 minutes (if the bun floats on top cover it with a small plate, or similar, to make sure it’s fully immersed in the water). Drain then squeeze excess water from the bun (do this thoroughly). Shred the bun (it will be very soft). Prepare onion: Either chop very finely by hand, grate or blend in a food processor (recommended). Make kotlety mixture: Combine the meat, shredded bun, egg, onion and seasoning. Using your hands mix the ingredients together until thoroughly incorporated, the mixture is smooth and doesn’t stick to your hands as much (do this for 3-4 minutes). It will feel very soft. Refrigerate for 10 minutes, if possible. Form kotlety, coat in breadcrumbs: Remove the mixture from the fridge. Form round (or oval shaped) patties, place in the breadcrumbs and coat thoroughly. They will be soft, but this is good as it means they will have a soft texture. You should get about 10 patties. Fry: In a large non-stick pan heat up 2 T. of oil and fry the kotlety over a medium heat for 5-6 minutes on each side until nicely browned (be careful not to brown them too quickly). Do not overcrowd the pan. Remove bits of breadcrumbs from the pan (and add more oil) before frying another batch. Serve immediately or briefly place on top of a paper towel sheet to remove excess oil (if necessary).