Cooking mode
Moroccan Sardine Balls in Tomato Sauce
55 min4 servingsMedium
Ingredients
- 600 gfresh boneless sardine fillets
- 500 gtomatoes
- 120 gyellow onion
- 20 ggarlic, minced (10 g for the sardine mixture, 10 g for the sauce)
- 30 gfresh coriander, chopped (20 g for the mixture, 10 g for the sauce)
- 20 gfresh parsley, chopped (15 g for the mixture, 5 g for the sauce)
- 35 gfine breadcrumbs, dairy-free
- 30 mlolive oil
- 6 gground sweet paprika (4 g for the mixture, 2 g for the sauce)
- 4 gground cumin (3 g for the mixture, 1 g for the sauce)
- 6 gsalt (4 g for the mixture, 2 g for the sauce)
- 1 gground black pepper
- 15 gtomato paste
- 100 mlwater
- 20 gpreserved lemon, zest only, rinsed and finely chopped
- 20 mllemon juice
- 240 gdairy-free bread
Instructions
- 1
Prepare the tomato base
Finely dice the onion. Coarsely grate the tomatoes into a bowl; discard the skins left in your hand. Divide the garlic into two equal portions. Rinse the preserved lemon and chop only its zest.
- 2
Cook the thick sauce
Heat the olive oil in a deep skillet or tagine over medium heat. Cook the onion for 6 minutes, until softened and lightly golden around the edges. Add half of the garlic, 2 g paprika, 1 g cumin, and the tomato paste; stir for 30 seconds. Stir in the tomatoes, water, and 2 g salt. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens.
- 3
Shape the sardine balls
Pat the sardine fillets dry and chop them very finely with a knife. In a bowl, combine them with the remaining garlic, 20 g coriander, 15 g parsley, 4 g paprika, 3 g cumin, 4 g salt, the black pepper, and the breadcrumbs. Mix, leave to stand for 3 minutes, then shape into 20 balls about 3 cm in diameter.
- 4
Finish cooking the balls in the sauce
Arrange the balls in a single layer in the gently simmering sauce. Partially cover the pan and cook for 10 to 12 minutes over low to medium-low heat. After 6 minutes, carefully turn them over so they do not fall apart. When cooked through, the fish should be opaque and reach 63°C in the center.
- 5
Finish and serve
Stir the chopped preserved lemon zest, remaining 10 g coriander, 5 g parsley, and lemon juice into the sauce. Taste and check that the sauce has a pronounced tomato flavor with a bright acidic finish. Briefly warm the dairy-free bread in a dry skillet and serve with the balls and sauce.