-
1
Drain the canned tuna and transfer it to a clean cloth. Gather the cloth and press firmly to expel all residual oil. The tuna must be as dry as possible — a wet mixture will cause the polpette to absorb oil and break apart in the pan.
-
2
Place the pressed tuna in a bowl. Add the fine breadcrumbs, beaten eggs, capers, lemon zest, parsley and Pecorino. Mix with a fork — not by hand — until the ingredients are just combined. The tuna should retain some texture; a smooth paste will produce a dense, heavy result. The mixture is ready when it holds its shape when pressed lightly between the fingers.
-
3
This is where the dish lives or dies: the mixture must be neither too wet nor over-worked. Pinch a small amount and roll it between the palms into a ball roughly 3 cm in diameter. If it cracks or refuses to hold, the mixture is too dry — add a few drops of water and turn once more. If it slumps, the tuna was insufficiently pressed — the batch cannot be recovered; the cook must begin again with thoroughly dried tuna.
-
4
Spread the coarse breadcrumbs on a flat plate. Roll each polpetta through the crumbs, pressing lightly so the coating adheres on all sides. Set on a tray in a single layer.
-
5
Pour olive oil into a wide, heavy frying pan to a depth of approximately 1 cm. Bring to 170 °C over a medium flame. Lower the polpette into the oil in batches, leaving space between each one. Do not press them down. Fry, turning once, until the coating is evenly deep gold on all sides — approximately 3 minutes per batch. The crust should be audibly crisp when tapped with a spoon.
-
6
Lift the polpette with a slotted spoon and drain on a rack or absorbent paper. They are ready to serve when the exterior is firm and dry to the touch and the interior yields softly when pressed. Serve immediately with lemon wedges, or arrange on a platter over lemon slices.