Shared by Simone and Marc Azoulay and Marie Salomé Peyronnel
Shared by Simone and Marc Azoulay and Marie Salomé Peyronnel
Poisson à la Marocaine (Fish Patties in Tomato Sauce)
Yield: 6-8 servings
Poisson à la Marocaine (Fish Patties in Tomato Sauce)
Yield: 6-8 servingsFamily Journey
Casablanca, MoroccoParisRio de Janeiro
SydneyNew York City
These seasoned fish patties from Simone Azoulay’s family are first poached and then finished in a rich tomato sauce. You can serve this as a first course along with Simone’s salade cuite, a cooked salad of tomatoes and peppers and cuminy beets, or on its own. Be sure to have challah on hand for dipping.
Read more about her family’s Shabbat dinners in “Whether in Paris, New York, or Beyond, Marc Azoulay Always Makes Time for Shabbat Dinner” and try Simone’s recipes for meatballs with onions and chicken with saffron and olives.
Ingredients
For the fish balls:
- 3 lbs fresh cod filet
- 1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 3 eggs
- 1 bunch cilantro with stems, chopped
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon mace
- 2 1/2 tablespoons sunflower oil
For the sauce:
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 2 15oz cans crushed tomatoes
- 2 ½ tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- 2 teaspoons cane sugar
- 4 bay leaves
Preparation
Step 1
Make the sauce: In a wide, heavy bottomed pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Place the sliced onion into the pot and saute for 4 minutes. Lower the heat to medium-low, cover and allow to soften for 15 minutes. Stir the onions every 5 minutes or so. Pour the crushed tomatoes, ¾ cup water, tomato paste, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon white pepper, the cane sugar and bay leaves into the pot and stir. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes, adding up to 1 cup of water to achieve the desired consistency.
Step 2
Prepare the fish balls: In a food processor pulse the fish, chopped onion, eggs, cilantro, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon white pepper, nutmeg, mace and sunflower oil. With oiled hands, form 24-26 balls, about 60 grams each. Place them onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Step 3
In a medium sized pot, bring water to a boil with 1 teaspoon of salt and a spoonful of sauce. Carefully place the fish balls into the water and cook for 5-7 minutes. This allows the balls to firm up before going into the sauce. Do this in batches.
Step 4
Place the fish balls into the sauce and simmer, covered for 10-15 minutes until they are cooked through.
