Directions
Today is Friday, it is the day of the random fish recipe, so we are going to make a delicious appetizer: the perfect fried fish balls.
The protagonist of the recipe is halibut. Many will turn up their noses and will already be sharpening the machete to cut my head off: it is fish for children, not very tasty, it does not even have bones.
But I tell you no, no and no: I never give up when it’s time to cook some delightful halibut fillets!
Halibut is a yummy fish with a buttery aftertaste that melts in your mouth. It just needs some tricks to become a delicacy: the secret to making the halibut divine are two: nutmeg and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Try to do this recipe, also your children will love these fishballs!
The process is long, especially to make the balls one by one, a painstaking work of precision, but in the end, the result pays off.
Ingredients for making the perfect fish balls
- 700 grams of halibut
- 3 eggs
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 70 grams of Parmigiano Reggiano
- 1 sprig of chopped parsley
- 90 grams of breadcrumbs
- 120 grams of milk
- salt and pepper
- 6 grams of nutmeg
How to prepare the halibut and nutmeg fish balls
Let’s start with the halibut. It has no thorns so there is no need to inspect it with tweezers. Wash it in running water. Put the crushed garlic in 3 tablespoons of olive oil and cook over low heat for 3 minutes.
Cut the fish and put it in the pan. Cook for 5 minutes, turn the fillets and then add the milk, salt, and pepper.
Cook and in the meantime mash the fish with a wooden fork and stir. When the milk has dried (7 minutes) turn off and let it cool. It doesn’t have to be a cream, but a beautiful thick amalgam.
Grate Parmigiano Reggiano and nutmeg.
Put the fish in a bowl, if there was still some milk drain it. Add the Parmesan cheese, a little bit of pepper, a sprinkle of nutmeg and mix. Now put in some bread and continue to knead with your hands. We are looking for a good consistency, not too dry: halibut has a delicate flavor and should not be mortified with too much bread or spices.
When the “dough” is nice and firm, but still wet, take a small dose, squeeze it slightly to compact and make a ball, rolling it circularly between the palms, then dust it with breadcrumbs. And keep working until you are done. Yes, it is a grueling job. If you have children, get help and they will have a lot of fun, at least for 3 minutes … Don’t make them too small or they will dry up with cooking: roughly the size of golf balls.
In a frying pan pour plenty of sunflower oil and then fry the meatballs for 7-8 minutes and then drain them on the kitchen paper. the right temperature is 170 degrees. Drain on kitchen paper, pat dry and serve accompanied by a simple salad.
Which wine to pair with fish balls?
We choose a fragrant, floral wine like the Gewurztraminer from the Brunnenhof cellar, a delicious wine, excellent for refreshing the mouth after every fish balls.
If you prefer to combine a cocktail, the Spritz is the right choice.
