Swedish Fishballs – Fiskbullar
A simple, versatile dish that works with any white fish. With two sauce options, depending on the season.
Ingredients
- 280 g skinned white fish fillet Mixed ratings!
- 100 g cooked potato, mashed
- 1 tbsp fresh white breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- 30g butter
- 3 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 small bunch of parsley, finely chopped
- Zest of half a lemon
- -
- For the mushroom sauce:
- 200g chanterelles, or any other tasty mushrooms
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 120ml creme fraiche or double cream
- 60ml chicken or veg stock
- 1 tsp cornflour
- -
- For the Fennel Sauce:
- 2 small fennel, trimmed and finely sliced
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- 80ml veg or chicken stock
- 80ml dry white wine
- 100ml creme fraiche
- 1 tsp
!
Support seafood sustainability by varying what you use
The recipe also works with
Alaska pollock
,
Haddock
,
European hake
,
Atlantic cod
,
Grey gurnard
,
Pollack
,
Whiting
and
Pouting
Fiskbullar or fishballs were my all-time favourite childhood comfort food. That said these do not resemble the ones I adored. Most commonly they are poached in stock and then liberally dowsed with a sauce. I have chosen to modernised and update this classic and shallow fry them and given you two sauce options to choose from: Chanterelle or Fennel.
fiskbullar & fennel sauce
Credit: Louise Hearst
Traditionally Fiskbullar consist of only white fish, but you could try making them using trout or even smoked haddock.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 175°C fan.
- Begin by sautéeing the onion in 15g of the butter until really soft and translucent, cool. Combine the cold mashed potato, breadcrumbs and egg in a bowl and set to one side for 5 minutes.
- Cut the fish into small pieces and pulse in a food processor, don’t over blend.
- Add the blended fish into the breadcrumb mix, add the cooled onions, lemon zest then season with salt and white pepper.
- With damp hands take a dessertspoonful of the mixture and shape into a ball. Repeat with the remainder. Now place the fishballs on a plate or tray, cover and pop in the fridge for an hour or until you need them.
- Place the fishballs in a hot frying pan with the remaining butter and sunflower oil. Turn so they are golden brown on all sides. Put the fishballs on a baking tray and place in the oven to continue to cook for 8-10 minutes. Now make the sauce.
- To make the mushroom sauce: clean the mushrooms with a brush. Tear or cut in half. Sauté in the butter until all the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper. Now add the chopped shallot and garlic, sauté on a low heat until soft. Now add the cream, soy sauce and stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes. If you’d like to thicken the sauce slightly, mix the cornflour with 2 tbls of cold water and stir into the mushroom sauce and simmer for a couple of minutes. Check the seasoning.
- To make the Fennel Sauce: place the sliced fennel in a hot frying pan with the butter and sunflower oil. Stir and fry until the fennel starts to take on some colour. Now add the white wine, reduce by half, then add the stock and cream. Simmer for a couple of minutes. If you’d like to thicken the sauce slightly, mix the cornflour with 2 tbls of cold water and stir into the sauce and simmer for a couple of minutes. Check the seasoning.
- Serve with a salad or steamed vegetables.