Show #401

Ingredients:

1 lb. freshwater whitefish fillets, all skin and sinews removed

3 tablespoons fresh breadcrumbs

1 whole egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup wisantigo parmesan, finely grated

2 tablespoons roasted garlic puree

2 tablespoon lemon zest, fresh

2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped

1 teaspoon Cancy's Fancy Hot Sauce, or similar

sea salt black pepper, freshly ground

all purpose flour for coating

soy bean oil, preferably from Michigan

for the simple tomato sauce

1 tablespoons roasted garlic, puree, see recipe

1 can (28-ounce) tomatoes, whole & peeled then chopped by hand

1 teaspoon Clancy's Fancy Hot Sauce, or similar

sea salt

black pepper, freshly ground

1/2 bunch fresh parsley, finely chopped

2 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed

4 portions EDEN organic spaghetti, freshly cooked, al dente

1/4 cup reserved pasta cooking water, optional dill fronds, for garnish, optional

Directions:

Cut the the fresh water whitefish fillets into chunks and pass through meat grinder with a medium die.

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the ground whitefish with the fresh bread crumbs, egg, cheese, lemon zest, dill & garlic puree.

Combine until the mixture forms a thick homogenous paste. Lightly season with salt, pepper and hot sauce.

Using a two ounce scoop form the whitefish mixture and roll between your palms to form round-shaped "meatballs." You should have approximately one dozen.

Fill a deep heavy pan no more than halfway with the soybean oil. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until it reaches 350 degrees.

Roll each whitefish ball into the all-purpose flour to coat, shaking off any excess. Using a slotted spoon, carefully lower the whitefish meatballs into the hot oil and cook until they are a light golden brown and cooked through, about 4-5 minutes. Remove with the same slotted spoon and leave to drain on a serving platter lined with paper towels.

Season with salt and pepper while hot.

Repeat until all the whitefish mixture has been used. Keep warm in a low oven while preparing the sauce and the pasta.

for the simple tomato sauce …

In a medium saucepan, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat.

Add the tomatoes and the roasted garlic puree. Season, to taste, with the sea salt and pepper. Add a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and cook tomatoes for about 8 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle in the chopped parsley and lemon juice and quickly blend. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

to serve …

Add the the cooked spaghetti to the sauce and mix well. If the mixture seems a bit dry carefully add some of the pasta cooking water to create more of a "sauce-like" consistency.

Mound the sauced pasta on a large serving platter or individual serving plates and top with the whitefish meatballs.

Garnish with the optional fresh dill fronds and some more drizzles of extra-virgin olive oil.

Makes 4 servings

©2000 eric villegas