Hello Fishballs lovers.. I love fishballs to the max, any kind of fishballs be it the super white bouncy fishball or those made from fish paste. Homemade fish balls won't be like those commercial white bouncy fishball texture. It's more dense but at the same time bouncy in texture and strong fish taste.
You can use Spanish Mackerel (马鲛鱼), in Malay, ikan tenggiri batang. Alternatively, you can use Wolf Herring/Silver Bar Fish 西刀鱼, in Malay known as Ikan Parang. These fishes give a wonderfully sweet fishballs which don't smell overly fishy and bouncy in texture.
Warn you that it’s going to take some time and energy and sweat but when you bite into the bouncy piece of fish ball, you will realize that it’s all worth the effort. Your hand will smell fishy. Your biceps are aching. Yes, it's really hard work. Or shall I name this as Homemade hardwork fish balls?
Ingredients to make fishballs: makes 27pcs fishballs
1 Whole Spanish Mackarel (Ikan Batang) - weigh about 370g
1/2 tsp Salt
1 1/2 tsp Corn Starch mix with 1 tbsp Water
Step by Step:
1. Rinse fish. Fillet the fish on both sides. Using a metal tablespoon, slowly scrape the flesh off the fish, going with the grain/ in the direction of the fish bones. Carefully not to scrape those tiny bones especially near the head, fin & stomach area. Feel for any bones and remove any. You don't want any bones in your fish paste.
(In order not to waste anything, save the fish bones, head & tail to make a delicious soup base for your fishballs later)
2. Pound fish meat using pestle and mortar, adding salt into it.
3. Keep pounding and slowly add in corn starch mixture (separate into 4 times) and pound till it become really sticky paste. You need to pound for about 50 times in order to achieve that.
4. Now for some stress-release therapy action. scoop up pounded fish and slap it / throw the lump into the mortar to get it smooth. Repeat for about 50 times, or until it comes together and firms up. Watch out for flying fish bits! Some ended on my shirt and even some on my face !!!
Too little slapping gives you mushy balls; too much slapping gives you toothy balls. It should wobble a bit when poked.
5. To form little balls, wet your fingers with some water slightly to prevent fish sticking to them, and drop them in a wet plate with some clean water (to prevent it sticking to the plate later). Put aside till required.
Note : Instead of making fishballs, you can also use the same fish paste to stuff Yong Tau Foo.
Ingredients to cook soup: ( serves 2-3)
Fishballs
1 tbsp Tung Choi
Fish bones, head & tail from earlier (cut bone into 3 sections)
450ml Water
Salt & pepper to taste
Spring onions for garnishing
1 tbsp Cooking Oil
Step by Step:
1. Heat some oil in a heated pan.
2. Lightly pan fry fish head & bones till slight golden on both sides.
3. Then add in water & tung choi. Bring to boil. Then reduce heat & let it simmer for 5 mins.
4. Gently discard fish head & bones.
5. Drop fishballs into boiling water. You can scoop some hot water & pour onto the fishball while sliding down the plate. The fishballs will easily slide down.
6. Fishballs are cooked when they float to the top.
7. Season with salt & pepper.
8. Dish up & serve. Garnish with some chopped spring onions.
Cooked with Queen's Xense Casserole Marble Coated Anodised Coating. Non stick 5 layer marble coating. Durable & Long Lasting. High heat efficiency. Easy cleaning & maintenance.
More details please visit: http://www.edgi.com.my