Mondeghili (fried breaded beef and pork meatballs)

These rich, crunchy meatballs – a Milanese mainstay – may have begun as a way to use up leftover meat, but they’re now a popular aperitivo snack. You can trace mondeghili back to when the Spanish ruled Milan (1535 to 1706) – they were likely an evolution of Spain’s pork meatballs, albóndigas. Chef Naz Hassan, who grew up in Milan before moving to London, shares his recipe.

“As a child, I’d visit the beautiful houses of my affluent Milanese friends. Bollito misto, a meaty stew, was a mainstay on the menu, but being from a working-class immigrant family, I always dreamed of the flavourful mondeghili that could be made from the stewed beef the next day,” says Naz.

Born in Bangladesh and raised in Milan – Lombardy’s cultural capital – Naz Hassan has cooked in some of the most loved restaurants in London over the past 14 years. He has been head chef at Anglo, Crispin and, most recently, Pidgin in Hackney. Now, going solo, he plans to focus on the food of his heritage, creating dishes that celebrate a combination of Italo-Bengali flavours.

Discover what makes Lombardy’s food so special in our full guide to the region.