Who doesn’t like meatballs? Whether made with vegetables, meat or fish, they’re always a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
Today’s recipe is quick and super tasty and will help you get kids or picky eaters to eat fish.
Rich in flavor, slightly crispy on the outside but soft on the inside, the Fish Meatballs are the perfect dinner-saver when you don’t know what to put on the table.
They take very little time to prepare, are extremely easy and you can make them with either fresh or frozen fish: you just need to boil the fish (or steam it), break it up and add herbs and the other ingredients. Once the mixture is ready you can form the meatballs and cook them in a pan or in the oven.
In today’s recipe I chose cod fillets, but the meatballs are also great with hake or plaice, which have a milder taste suitable for children.
For cooking you can decide to fry them, cook them in a pan or bake them in the oven; you’ll find all the alternatives in the recipe description.
You’ll bring to the table delicious FISH meatballs that are crispy and soft at the same time. Serve as a tasty appetizer with mayonnaise or yogurt sauce, as a main course with a side of vegetables, or as a one-dish meal accompanied by basmati rice.
You’ll see that despite the fish they remain delicate and light no matter how you choose to cook them, whether in the oven or fried. Careful though — they’re addictive! And if you’re a meatball lover also check out
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Budget-friendly
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Cooking time: 25 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop, Oven, Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 1,202.04 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 34.32 (g) of which sugars 4.69 (g)
- Proteins 20.78 (g)
- Fat 110.87 (g) of which saturated 20.77 (g)of which unsaturated 81.53 (g)
- Fibers 2.29 (g)
- Sodium 583.81 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 100 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 4 fillets cod (about 14 oz (fresh or frozen))
- 1 egg
- cup bread crumb (from bread)
- cup milk (200 ml)
- cup grated Parmesan
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley
- 1/2 clove garlic
- to taste salt
- 5 tbsp breadcrumbs (for coating)
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley (for coating)
- 1/2 tbsp grated Parmesan (for coating)
- about 2 cups peanut oil (for frying (about 1/2 L))
- extra virgin olive oil
Tools
- Bowl
- Food processor
- Pan
PROCEDURE
I give you the procedure to prepare fish meatballs with either fresh or frozen fish (steps 1 and 2 below). Once the fish mixture is ready, regardless of your choice (frozen or fresh), go to step 3.
Thaw frozen fish fillets at room temperature (if in a hurry, place them in a sealed food bag and submerge in warm water for about 10 minutes). Squeeze the fillets to remove excess water. Put the fillets in a food processor (or a bowl) and pulse until the fish is finely chopped. It will become like a puree.
If you use fresh cod, I recommend having it cleaned by the fishmonger if possible, or alternatively buy cod loins or fillets. If you need to clean it yourself, see the notes at the end of the recipe. Once cleaned, immerse the fish in a pot of boiling water with a pinch of salt and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes or until tender. Drain and let cool. Then break it up with your hands or a fork in a bowl.
Put the torn bread crumb in a bowl and add the milk, letting it soak for a couple of minutes. In another large bowl, pour the cooked and flaked fresh fish (or take the chopped frozen fish mixture) and add the squeezed milk-soaked bread. Add to the mixture: grated cheese, chopped parsley, 1 whole egg, salt and the grated zest of 1 lemon (optional). Mix with your hands until you get a soft, homogeneous dough. If it is too soft add a little breadcrumbs. With your hands form balls from the mixture then roll them in the coating of breadcrumbs, parsley and Parmesan. At this point you are ready to cook the FISH MEATBALLS; decide whether to fry them, pan-cook them or bake them. Below I list all three cooking methods.
Heat the peanut oil in a pan, and when ready start frying the meatballs a few at a time so as not to lower the oil temperature too much. Cook until they become golden on the surface (about 6-8 minutes), turning them occasionally. Once cooked transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels. Continue until all the meatballs are cooked. Serve hot accompanied by a fresh salad or grilled vegetables.
For a lighter cooking method place the meatballs on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, brush them with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and bake for about 20 minutes in a preheated convection oven at 392°F. Turn them halfway through cooking. Remove when cooked and let rest for a minute before serving.
A middle ground between frying and oven baking is pan-cooking with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Just heat a non-stick pan with a little oil and add the meatballs. If you used fresh fish it will be enough to brown them for 2-3 minutes on one side, then flip and brown the other side. They don’t require much time because the fish is already cooked. If you used frozen fish it will take about 10 minutes per side over low heat. Once ready place them on a sheet of kitchen paper to remove excess oil.
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NOTES
FISH: The types of fish most suitable for making the meatballs are: cod, hake or plaice.
MIxture CONSISTENCY: If it’s too soft you can add a tablespoon of breadcrumbs; conversely if it’s too dry, to moisten it use a boiled, mashed potato or 2 tablespoons of ricotta.
FLAVORS: In this case I flavored the fish meatballs with chopped parsley and garlic, but if you prefer replace them with lemon zest for a fresh touch.
STORAGE
Frozen fish meatballs can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Being a thawed product they can be refrozen only if they have been previously cooked.
