Icelandic Fish Balls {Fiskibollur}

I know, snigger, snigger she said fish balls.  I don’t think I’ll ever out grow my juvenile sense of humor.  Fish balls-must be a small meal…Icelandic fish balls-must be cold… Okay so I won’t give up my day job.  Evidently having 4 boys and a husband in the family has affected my funny bone.

Ball jokes aside, these gems are really tasty!  Made from a firm white fish, onion, salt, eggs and flour(s), fiskibollur is more of a croquette than a meatball. Fried in butter with a crisp shell and a light, airy yet creamy interior they are no laughing matter.  

I could eat these every day.  My fiskibollur aren’t very bolti (ball) like, actually they look more like a fish cake. I used frozen (thawed) fish, which has a lot more moisture than fresh, resulting in a looser batter.  Alas, what’s a Montana girl supposed to do, but it don’t hurt the tasting none!  

Fiskibollur is traditionally served with Kartöflur í jafningi {potatoes in white sauce}.  Whenever I have Kartöflur í jafningi I always have peas (I love mixing them together)! I also like a nice cucumber dill salad, which is from the German side of my family but I’m a mutt so mutt dishes are what I make 😉 If I was fancier I guess I’d call them fusion food.

On the non-traditional side I do like to add some fresh herbs to my fiskibollur, typically parsley but dill is nice also, you could also add some minced garlic.  This recipes makes a good size amount, you could easily half it but I like to make the full recipe and freeze them.  They reheat in the oven perfectly.

Try making these smaller and serving them as an appetizer!

I finish off my fiskibollur with some Icelandic flake salt. It’s the perfect finish.

If you are interested in buying this salt they sell it online at the: Nordic Store keep in mind it ships from Iceland.  It is only $6.99 but their is an additional shipping cost.  Another flake salt can be substituted.

Fiskibollur {Icelandic Fish Balls}

2016-12-05 16:48:57

Yields 24

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Ingredients

1. 1 3/4 pounds white fish fillets (haddock, cod or flounder work well)
2. 2 medium onions, rough diced
3. 2 eggs
4. 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (can use all flour if potato flour not available)
5. 3 tablespoons potato flour (use all potato flour for Gluten Free)
6. 2 teaspoons salt
7. 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
8. 2 tablespoons parsley and/or dill (optional)
9. 4 tablespoons butter or Ghee

Instructions

1. In the large bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, add fish and onions. Pulse several times until the fish and onions are finely minced. Add remaining ingredients, mix until well combined. Refrigerate for 1 hour (makes dough easier to handle).
2. Preheat oven to 300°F. In a fry pan, melt butter over medium heat. Shape fish into balls, patties or quenelle. Fry in butter until golden brown then turn over and brown on the other side. Place on a wire rack fitted in a rimmed baking sheet. Place in oven to keep warm while cooking the rest.
3. After the last fiskibollur, finish cooking in the oven another 10 minutes. Remove from oven and garnish with flake salt.

Notes

1. If using frozen fish, thaw completely and drain. Squeeze as much liquid as possible out of the fish before processing it. The dryer the fish the firmer the dough. You may need to add more flour than the recipe amount (it will still be fine).

The Kitchen Witch https://www.thekitchenwitchblog.com/