Fiskibollur: Fish Balls

Yet another recipe from my kitchen library. I bought the book, Cool Cuisine: Traditional Icelandic Cuisine by Nanna Rögnvaldardóttir, after one of my visits to Reykjavík.

I have tried various recipes for fish balls and this particular one works best.

For such a simple recipe – there are no elaborate flavourings here – it tastes very good, but I couldn't resist adding some chopped fresh chopped dill and parsley.
It's a great way to use cheaper cuts of white fish, and so long as the fish is fresh, you really can't go wrong.

You do, however, really need to use a food processor, as this gives the fine texture to the minced fish.

In addition to the original instructions from the book, I prefer to chill the fish balls prior to cooking them. This helps to firm them up and prevents them from falling apart during frying.

Serves 4

Ingredients

600g white fish fillets, skinned and boned

1 onion, chopped

2 eggs, lightly beaten

100ml milk, or as needed

1½ teaspoons salt

third teaspoon pepper

3 tablespoons plain flour

3 tablespoons potato flour

3 tablespoons vegetable oil and a knob of butter for frying

Method

Place the fish and onion in a food processor and mince finely.

Stir in the eggs, some of the milk and the seasoning.

Stir in the plain flour and potato flour, and add more milk if needed. The mixture should be fairly thick and able to hold it's shape well.

Shape oblong fish balls with a tablespoon and place them on a plate and put into the fridge to firm up for about an hour.

Heat the oil and butter in a frying pan and fry the fish balls over a medium heat until brown on all sides.

Lower the heat, add a little water to the pan, cover with a lid and cook for a few minutes more.

Serve with melted butter, boiled new potatoes and a salad.

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