Baked Seafood Balls - Chef Recipe by Matteo Bruno
Ingredients
120g all-purpose potatoes, cut into small chunks
40g (1/4 cup) frozen baby peas
250g marinara mix – prawns, fish and scallops
250g firm white fish fillet (such as barramundi, snapper, flathead, whiting)
3 Tbs chopped dill, plus extra for baking
3 Tbs chopped chives
Zest of 1/2 lemon
20 capers, about 6g, rinsed and drained
1/4 fresh red chilli
1 1/2 Tbs lemon-infused olive oil
1 lemon, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 Tbs butter
Method
Place the potato chunks in lightly salted water in a large saucepan over high heat and bring to the boil. Cook for around 10 minutes until the potatoes are cooked all the way through. Drain and set aside to cool.
While the potatoes are cooking, drop the peas in a small saucepan of lightly salted boiling water and cook for 3–4 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool.
In a food processor, gently blitz the seafood, cooled potato, dill, chives, lemon zest, capers, chilli, cooled peas and lemon-infused olive oil, taking care not to overwork the mixture.
Preheat the oven to 120 C and add a small oven-proof saucer of water to the back of the oven to create humidity.
Using your hands, gently roll the mixture into 50g balls.
Spread four pieces of baking paper out and lay lemon slices and the extra dill down the middle of each piece.
Place three or four balls on each piece of paper, covering the lemon and dill. Add some garlic slices and a small dab of butter on top of each ball.
Fold over the long edges of the baking paper, twisting the ends together to seal the seafood balls in the paper.
Tie off the ends securely with cooking string. Continue the process with the rest of the mixture until you have about four bags for baking.
Cook in the humid oven for 18 minutes.
Serve immediately. Makes 16 meatballs.
Photo Credits: Recipe and Images from Meatballs, The Ultimate Guide, published by Matteo Bruno published by Murdoch Books.
