Few things are more international than a sumptuous meatball. From different meats, fish, shellfish, vegetables, tofu, carbohydrates, legumes… the representation of the meatloaf is endless, both in its possible ingredients and in its cooking techniques and ways of eating them. Although we usually see them fried or cooked in sauces, we can also make them baked, steamed, and even cooked in water or broth. These last two techniques are better known in Asia and it doesn’t hurt to incorporate them into our cooking from time to time. The texture becomes perfectly tender, springy and smooth, making it perfect for thicker, fattier sauces.
Preparing this recipe – or triple recipe – is really easy if we do it in parts. We prepare the batter for the patties with fish – I used white fish I found on sale – shrimp and a pinch of pork to add some fat. Chopping everything together and adding starch and coconut milk will help achieve the springy texture we’re looking for. We’ll accompany it with a rich sauce made from peanut butter, sesame seeds and more coconut, with a squeeze of lemon and lime to give it a citrus note that reduces fat. To top it all off, an oil flavored with paprika and garlic will suffice. For this last element, you can let your creativity run free: add spices, aromatic herbs and whatever you want. In fact, my recommendation would be to make a Sichuan Pepper Chili Oil, but let’s keep the recipe open, simple, and accessible to everyone.
I’ve made these meatballs before with no fish, with other types of fats like pate (slightly frozen so it stays in chunks when cooked), just pork, and many other ways. The most important thing to achieve the desired texture is the sanding step. If you don’t have a food processor, chop the ingredients well with a knife and use your hand to incorporate everything into the same mass, moving in the same direction over and over. It’s the most traditional method, but the meat grinder takes us a few steps forward.
difficulty
Realize how easy they are to prepare.
Ingredients
For the peanut coconut sauce
- 325 ml coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon toasted tahini or toasted sesame paste
- 1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon white sugar
- 1 level teaspoon of fine salt
For 14 meatballs
- 200 g clean white fish (hake, whiting, cod, etc.)
- 12 raw shrimp
- 150 grams of minced meat
- 3 cloves of garlic
- half fresh onion
- 15 coriander stems
- 1 egg
- 75 ml coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch, tapioca, or potato starch
- 1 and 1/4 teaspoon salt
At your service
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons sweet or hot paprika
- 4 garlic cloves crushed and chopped
- 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
- A pinch of ground black pepper
Preparation
Place coconut milk, peanut butter, tahini, mustard, sugar, and salt in a skillet. Stir while heating so they are fully integrated.
Continue cooking, stirring frequently to reduce and thicken. This process takes about 10 minutes.
With the heat off, add the lemon or lime juice and stir. Reserve and serve over the meatballs.
Using a food processor, mince the fish, shrimp, pork, garlic, onion, and cilantro until they form a paste. Add the egg, starch and salt and mix again to combine. It should be like a paste.
Fill a saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Shape the dough into a round shape and place the meatballs in the water. Once they begin to swim, cook for another five minutes and remove.
To serve, crush and chop the garlic cloves and place in a heatproof bowl. Add paprika powder, sesame and mix.
Heat olive oil until smoking and pour directly into bowl with garlic and peppers. Mix well.
Serve the meatballs with the peanut coconut sauce and the infused oil on top. It can also be topped with more sesame seeds, coriander leaves, and black pepper.
If you make this recipe, share the result on your social networks with the hashtag #RecipesComidista. And if it goes wrong, complain to the Defender of the Cook by sending an email to [email protected].