Spicy Fried Fish Balls
After posting a pic of this finished spicy fish balls on Facebook, someone commented “must be a male fish!”. Rude talk aside, I thought it was funny. I don’t recall if it was in Guyana or in Barbados I first had something similar, but I do recall how tasty they were, so I knew back then I’d have to come up with a recipe sooner or later. In keeping with this month’s theme of party food with a Caribbean twist for the holiday season… I give you the most delicious fish balls you’ll ever try. With the use of panko bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese, you’ll see how international this recipe really is.
Ingredients
- 1 lb fresh cod fillets
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon chopped thyme
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 cup panko bread crumbs any bread crumbs should work
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 pepper scotch bonnet pepper diced finely
- 2-3 cups veg oil for frying
- 1/2 cup flour for dusting
Instructions
- Wash and pat the Cod Fillet (1 pound) and dry with some paper towels. Then cut into chunks and place into a food processor.
- Give the fish a few pulses in the food processor and remember to scrape down the side so you get an even consistency.
- Add the Parmesan Cheese (3/4 cup), Fresh Parsley (1 tablespoon), Fresh Thyme (1 tablespoon), Garlic (2 clove), Egg (2), Panko Breadcrumbs (3/4 cup), Salt (1/4 teaspoon), Ground Black Pepper (1/4 teaspoon), and Scotch Bonnet Pepper (1/2).
- Pulse for a minute or two and remember to stop to scrape down, until you have a well mixed consistency.
- Shape this into the small balls for frying. Take about a tablespoon’s worth of filling and roll in your hands to form the ball.
- Roll balls in All-Purpose Flour (1/2 cup) and coat evenly.
- Heat the Vegetable Oil (as needed) over medium-high heat and fry balls for 3-4 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
- Serve warm with your favorite dipping sauce.
Notes
The diced scotch bonnet will give this a wicked kick, so feel free to cut back on it or leave it out if you’re overly concerned about the heat (chicken).
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
