“Rocchini” are a sort of celery croquette, a traditional recipe that used to be prepared as a side dish for substantial main courses, such as braised rabbit or duck. They’re tasty but delicate and go well with other stronger-flavoured dishes.

Wash the celery, pull the stalks off and, after removing the tough strings, cut them into pieces. Boil them in slightly salted water until tender (testing with the prongs of a fork) and strain. Chop the pieces up coarsely, and then squeeze firmly to get rid of all the water. Shape the celery into croquettes, dip them in egg (beaten and slightly salted) and then coat them with flour. Repeat this step a second time, shaking off the excess flour. Now fry them in plenty of boiling oil, until they turn a nice golden brown. Use a perforated spoon to remove them from the oil, drain well and lay them on absorbent kitchen paper. You can do all this the day before you want to eat them, because they will in any case be “rifatte” (= redone), that’s to say recooked.

To “redo” the croquettes, put them in a frying pan over a moderate heat, with 4-5 spoonfuls of olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the Pomarola, season with salt and stir delicately. Pour in half a glass of water, bring to the boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes so that the “Rocchini” warm up and bind with the sauce

If you make them as a side dish for braised rabbit, chicken or duck, you can heat them up directly in the pan with the meat.