Sunday with Marlena Spieler

Marlena calls this Fish balls, but I call it cutlets. By whatever name you call it, this is a must try dish. While Rajesh loves fish, I did not eat fish until two years  ago. When we were in Goa, India, Rajesh ordered fish for himself. Being a coastal town, the fish was fresh and did not stink. I tasted it and was surprised how much I liked it. We later found out that the Sacramento Co-op sells some of the best fish in the country. We have very slowly started cooking with fish and for now eat fish only if we buy @ the Co-op.

This recipe is a popular among Moroccon Jews. We tweeked the recipe a bit. The books says to cook in in the tomato sauce, but we shallow fried the fish first and served it on a bed of tomato sauce. We liked it so much that we just started eating them as is without the sauce. The crunchiness on the outside with a burst of flavors on the inside, you will ask for more. The recipe is a keeper, thanks Marlena!

Bread slice – 1

Cod Fish – 1/2 lb

Shallots /onions – 1 cup, finely chopped

Garlic – 4, minced

Turmeric – 1/2 tsp

Garam Masala – 1/2 tsp

Ginger – 1/2 tsp, minced

Cilantro – 1/2 cup, chopped

Cayenne – a small pinch

Egg – 1, well beaten

Panko bread crumbs – 1/2 cup

Oil – 6 -8 T

Tomato – 4 ripe

Preserved or fresh lemon – 1

Paprika – 1/4 tsp

Salt & pepper – to taste

Lemon wedges – for garnish

• Sprinkle some water over the bread, just to moist the bread a little and crumble it in a bowl
• Mince the fish and it to the bowl with  half of the onions, ginger, half of the garlic, half of garam masala, turmeric , cayenne and salt
• Mix well or you can pulse in a food processor until they are well combined.
• In separate plates  place the well beaten egg and bread crumbs
• While the fish is resting, make the tomato sauce
• Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan and add the rest of the onions.
• When the onions turn translucent, add rest of the garam masala, garlic, some salt and preserved or fresh lemon finely chopped
• Add the tomatoes and let it simmer on low heat for 15 minutes
• In another saute pan, heat the rest of the oil.
• Take a tablespoon of the fish mixture and make small balls and then flatten it gently.
• Dip it in egg and then the bread crumbs and cook until they turn golden brown on each side.
• Serve  hot with the tomato sauce.

Variation: You can completely skip the bread crumbs part and add egg to the fish mixture, make them into balls and add to the tomato sauce to cook.

Eileen also has a fish dish to make that is super easy. Take a peek into Mel’s kitchen and see what she cooked today!