• 2 slices white bread
  
• 1 cup milk
  
• 3/4 pound ground veal
  
• 1/2 pound Homemade Bolognese sausage or mild Italian pork sausage(containing no fennel seeds, chile pepper, or strong spices), casings removed and chopped
  
• 1/4 pound sliced mortadella, finely chopped
  
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
  
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  
• 2 large eggs
  
• 2 cups line dried bread crumbs
  
• Olive oil for frying
  

Instructions:

Remove the crusts from the bread and tear it into pieces. Put it in a small bowl, add the milk, and let soak for 5 minutes.

Drain the bread and squeeze out as much of the milk as possible. Place the bread in a large bowl and add the veal, sausage, mortadella, nutmeg, Parmigiano, and eggs. Season lightly with salt and pepper and mix until well combined.

Take a small amount of the meat mixture and shape it between the palms of your hands into a ball about the size of a very small egg. Place on a plate, then repeat until all the meat is used up.

Lightly beat the eggs in a small bowl. Dip the meatballs in the beaten eggs, coat them evenly with the bread crumbs, and flatten them a little with the palms of your hands. Place the polpette in a single layer on a cookie sheet or large platter. (They can be refrigerated, tightly covered with plastic wrap, for several hours.)

Heat 1 inch of oil in a medium heavy skillet over medium-high heat. As soon as the oil is nice and hot, lower the polpette, in batches into the oil with a slotted spoon, making sure not to crowd the pan. As soon as the polpette are golden on one side, 1 to 2 minutes, turn them and brown the other side. Transfer the polpette to paper towels to drain. Pile the polpette on a warm serving platter and bring to the table.

Note: Fried polpette are delicious and versatile. They can be served as a casual appetizer, a snack, or a light lunch or dinner. In the countryside of Emilia-Romagna, they are often served with tender leaves of wild chicory or with Parmigiano-enriched mashed potatoes