Passover Fish Balls in Fava Bean Sauce

Tender fish balls simmered in a garlicky tomato sauce with preserved lemon and fava beans. Bright, comforting, and perfect for Passover.

In my video I actually double the fish mixture because I love to freeze half for another meal. I flash freeze the shaped fish balls on a baking sheet, then once they’re firm I transfer them to a Ziploc bag. When I’m ready to make them again, I simply build the sauce and drop the fish balls straight from the freezer into the sauce. Work once, enjoy twice.

Below is the amount for one full recipe.

Sauce

• 3 Roma tomatoes, diced

• 10 cloves garlic, sliced

• ⅓ cup oil

• 1 tbsp paprika in oil

• ½ tbsp turmeric

• 1 frozen bag double-peeled fava beans (about 2 cups)

• ¼ preserved lemon, very finely chopped

• 3 cups water

• 1 tsp salt

Fish Balls

• 250 g salmon

• 250 g cod

• 3 celery stalks

• 1 small onion

• 3 garlic cloves

• ½ cup cilantro

• ½–¾ cup matzo meal

(you can substitute breadcrumbs during the year)

• 1 egg

• 1 tbsp paprika in oil

• ½ tbsp turmeric

• ½ tbsp salt

• ½ cup chopped cilantro

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a wide pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil with the paprika and turmeric for about a minute to bloom the spices.

2. Add the diced tomatoes and sliced garlic and cook until they begin to soften.

3. Add the fava beans, preserved lemon, water, and salt. Bring to a simmer while you prepare the fish mixture.

4. In a food processor, blend the salmon and cod until smooth. Transfer to a bowl. In the same processor, blend the celery, onion, garlic, and cilantro. Add this to the fish.

5. Mix in the matzo meal, egg, paprika, turmeric, and salt until fully combined.

6. Oil your hands and shape the mixture into fish balls (I like to make them slightly flattened rather than perfectly round).

7. Gently place them into the simmering sauce. Cover and cook on a gentle simmer for about 1 hour, until fully cooked and tender.

8. Near the end, sprinkle the chopped cilantro over the top, cover again, and let everything finish cooking together.

Serve warm with lots of sauce

For full video, click here. 

Enjoy,

Guila