Fishballs in Lemon Sauce Recipe. Roasted Salmon Variation

Fishballs Moroccan Style

fishballs

Fishballs. They are our Moroccan/Sephardi answer to Gefilte Fish, easy, fragrant, zippy and delicious. We Sephardis are suckers for the Mustard-Caper-Lemon Trinity.

No problem using this exact recipe using meat or poultry

Simply substitute ground beef, chicken, turkey, or lamb, and proceeding exactly as instructed below. You will turn your dish into turkey balls, meatballs, lamb balls etc…

Preserved lemons are a must for this recipe!

Please don’t make these fishballs with a Gefilte fish roll!

I can tell you with great authority that the results will be severely affected. Grinding fish in a food processor is a breeze and takes seconds, and will make you the best dish. Don’t compromise on this point, or it will in turn compromise your finished dish: A risk definitely not worth taking!

Saffron is a wonderful investment!

Saffron

We couldn’t be without it for our Moroccan dishes! A little goes a very long way, and an ounce container is much more cost-effective than those tiny vials.

Variation: Roasted Salmon in Mustard Caper Sauce

Roasted Salmon in mustard caper sauce

So much fun riffing on the original fishballs tajine. Exact same ingredients, different more dramatic presentation, and quicker preparation:

In a the food processor, grind to a paste: a small bunch parsley, 5 cloves garlic, 1/4 preserved lemon (skin only, rinsed and minced), 3 tablespoons capers, 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard, 2 teaspoons turmeric, 1/4 cup olive oil.
smear this paste evenly over a whole side boneless salmon, about 3 1/2 pounds. Roast in a preheated 450 degree oven for about 20 minutes, until firm-tender and very moist. Do NOT overcook or it will get tough and dry.

Ingredients

Serves 8

Cooking liquid

2 tablespoons oil
Good pinch saffron threads
1 teaspoon turmeric
3 cups water

Fish mixture

1 small onion, quartered
1 small bunch parsley
1 egg
2 tablespoons oil
1 small bread roll (gluten-free OK)
1/4 preserved lemon, skin only, rinsed and minced
Salt and pepper to taste
Pinch nutmeg
1 1/2 pounds tilapia, salmon or other fish fillet, boneless and skinless

Lemon Sauce ingredients

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons Dijon-style-style mustard
1 egg yolk (skip if you are egg-restricted)
1/4 cup minced parsley

Instructions

Bring all cooking liquid ingredients to boil in a wide heavy pot.

Meanwhile, make the fishballs mixture:

In a food processor, grind all fish mixture ingredient to a smooth paste. Transfer the fishballs mixture to a bowl. Form oval or round balls, and throw them gently in the pot as you go. Reduce the flame to medium and cook, covered, 30 minutes. Take out the fishballs carefully with a slotted spoon, and transfer onto a platter. Reduce the cooking liquid to about 1 cup. Remove from the fire; add the sauce ingredients and stir vigorously with a whisk, just a few seconds, working quickly and thoroughly so as not to give the egg time to scramble.

Pour the sauce over the fishballs. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Roasted Salmon Variation