Cicheti is a Venetian term used to describe a wide range of bite-size local treats, from deep-fried seafood and rice croquettes to grilled radicchio and baby artichokes from the nearby island of St. Erasmo; from boiled eggs served with anchovies, to meatballs, to the legendary bacala’ mantecato (stockfish mousse) and sarde in saor (fried sardines marinated in sweet-and-sour onions).
Among some of the best of these finger foods are these fish balls, which you can also keep cooking in a light tomato sauce after frying them, if you prefer to serve them as part of a meal, on top of polenta. Fish balls, like meat balls, are a staple of Jewish Italian sustainable cooking, and were traditionally made with leftover boiled or roasted fish. However, these are so good that if you don’t have any leftovers you might want to cook some fish in order to make a batch.
Ingredients
- About 4 slices white bread crust removed
- Fish cooking water where the fish was cooked with celery, carrot, onion, or vegetable stock
- 2 pounds leftover cooked fish white
- 2 anchovies salt-or oil-packed, drained and minced (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1-2 tablespoons freshly minced parsley
- Large pinch each nutmeg and cinnamon optional; or thyme
- 2 medium/large eggs
- Flour to dredge
- Olive oil for frying
Nutritional Facts
Instructions
- Soak the bread in the broth or fish stock until soft. Drain and squeeze.
- Mash the fish with the bread and anchovies, season with salt and pepper, add the parsley and spices. Taste and adjust the salt if needed.
- Add eggs, combine well and allow to rest in the fridge for a few minutes. If it’s still too soft you can add a tablespoon of bread crumbs.
- With wet hands, form little balls (about 1 to 1 /2” in diameter. Dredge them in flour and deep fry in olive oil, in a deep fryer or in a heavy pot with tall sides. To deep fry, heat at least 2" of the olive oil to frying temperature (you can test it by dropping a small piece of bread in the oil: if lots of little bubbles form around the bread, the temperature is right). Fry in small batches until golden all over, turning to cook evenly.
- Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer onto a platter lined with several layers of paper towels. Serve warm.
