Yield: about three dozen 2 inch meatballs.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-Virgin olive oil
one medium onion, minced in a food processor.
One third of a small fennel, minced in a food processor (about 2/3 cup)
. Two fat garlic cloves, minced in a food processor.
Three-quarter teaspoon salt
3 pounds sweet Italian sausage (without fennel seeds)
three large eggs, well, beaten with a pinch of salt.
3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons finely grated orange zest
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, stripped from the stem.
One heaping cup find dried breadcrumbs
1 cup or more all-purpose flour
2 cups or more vegetable oil.
Salt for sprinkling
spread the flour about 1/4 inch deep in the center of a baking sheet.

How to Make.

Pour the olive oil into a medium skillet, drop in the minced onion and fennel, and set over medium-high heat. Stir them in the pan for a minute or two, until they begin to sizzle; clear a space for the garlic, and get it sizzling on the site for a minute or so. Sprinkle on half the salt, and stir all together. Turn down the heat and cook for 5 min., stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are wilted and slightly dried, but don’t let them color at all. Scrape them out of the pan to cool.

Meanwhile, take all the sausage meat out of the casing (if packet links), crumble it up well, and spread it out in a large mixing bowl. Pour the beaten eggs on top of the meat. Add the parsley, remaining salt, pepper, orange zest, thyme leaves, and. Spread over all the cooled onions, fennel, garlic, and the breadcrumbs. Now fold, toss, and squeezed the meat and seasonings together with your hands and fingers to distribute all the ingredients evenly.

Forming, Flouring, and Frying Meatballs.

Spread the flour about 1/4 inch deep in the center of a baking sheet.
Pour vegetable oil into a large, heavy skillet or sauté pan – 12 inches in diameter if possible – to a depth of about 1/3 inch.
Scoop of a portion of meet with a small ice cream scoop, a large spoon, or your fingers. Lightly shake the meat between your palms in the to which balls, a bit larger than golf balls (or whatever size you like). Drop each ball onto the floured sheet, roll around until coated, then place it on another baking sheet. Form and flour all the meat into balls in this manner.
Set the skillet over high heat until the oil is very hot. With tongs or a spatula, carefully transfer meatballs to the pan, as many as you can, leaving at least and an inch between them. Cook for a minute or two, until they started to brown on the bottom then turned and them continuously – watch out for oil sweaters – until Golden-crusted on all sides, about 6 min. As they are done, transferred the fried balls to a baking sheet. When all the meatballs are on the tray, sprinkle salt lightly over them-just a couple of pinches and all.
Note: the meatballs will finish cooking in the sauce; they are fried just until a golden crust forms. So if you intend to eat them as is instead, be sure to Fry them longer, until there cooked through.
Before frying the next batch, turn off the heat and with a fine mesh skimmer or strainer, remove any browned bits from the oil. Add oil is needed to restore the 1/3 inch depth, and heat it up again.

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