Fried fish balls

  • Portion size: Makes 40-45 fish balls
  • Hands-on time 45 min, plus cooling
  • Difficulty: easy
Recipe by: Emma Spitzer

”[My mum] made hundreds at a time and we lived off them in many forms for days: cold as part of a spread with chrain (a spicy beetroot and horseradish relish) on the side; hot with chips and salad; or straight from the fridge, popped into the mouth like sweets.” – Emma Spitzer

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Ingredients

  • 1kg skinless, boneless sustainable white fish fillets, such as cod or coley
  • 1 onion, peeled and grated
  • 1 large carrot, peeled and grated
  • 1 medium free-range egg, beaten
  • 2 tbsp medium matzo meal
  • 2 tsp caster sugar
  • ½ tbsp salt
  • 2 litres corn oil or sunflower oil (for deep frying)
  • Chopped fresh dill to serve
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Method

  1. Put the fish in a food processor and whizz until minced. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and add the onion, carrot, egg, matzo meal, sugar, salt and a few grindings of black pepper. Use your hands to mix everything together well.
  2. Heat the oil in a large, deep, heavy-based saucepan to 170°C when tested with a digital probe thermometer (or until a cube of bread turns golden brown in 30-40 seconds). Take a walnut-size piece of the mixture and form into a ball then, using a slotted spoon, drop it into the hot oil and cook for 7-8 minutes until deep golden brown.
  3. Leave the ball to cool, then taste for seasoning. Add more salt or pepper to the mixture in the bowl if you like, then take pieces and form into 40-45 rounds the size of ping pong balls, putting them on a tray ready to fry.
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  5. Fry the fish balls in batches, as above, ensuring each batch is cooked through and checking the oil temperature stays constant.
  6. Remove the cooked balls with a slotted spoon and set aside on a separate plate or tray lined with kitchen paper. Cool completely before serving. (Or, even better, make the day before and chill until required) Sprinkle with chopped dill and serve with chrain (a spicy beetroot and horseradish relish) or mayo.

Nutrition

  • 54kcals Calories
  • 3.6g (0.6g saturated) Fat
  • 4.2g Protein
  • 1.2g (0.6g sugars) Carbs
  • 0.2g Fibre
  • 0.2g Salt

For 45

Quick wins & tips

Make a quick version of chrain by whizzing up cooked beetroot with freshly grated or creamed horseradish, then stir in some salt and ground black pepper to taste.

Make Ahead

Cook the fish balls up to 24 hours ahead and keep covered in the fridge until ready to serve.

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