Home >Recipes >Swordfish Meatballs with Fisherman’s Sauce

Serves: 6

• For the salsa verde:
• 2 bunches Italian parsley, picked and cleaned
• 3 slices (approx 2 oz) white bread, soaked in 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 12–15 cornichons
• 1/4 cup capers, rinsed
• 4–5 anchovies
• 1 3/4 cups extra virgin olive oil
• gray salt to taste
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 hard boiled egg

• For the swordfish meatballs:
• 3 swordfish filets, skinned and diced
• 1 cup salsa verde
• 1 egg
• 3 cups bread crumbs
• 2 tsp Calabrian chili
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup pecorino cheese
• 1/4 cup preserved lemon, minced
• 4 cups panko crumbs
• 6 eggs, beaten (for batter)
• 2 cups all purpose flour

• For the fisherman’s sauce:
• 1 onion, sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 6 anchovy filets
• 2 tbsp capers
• 1 bay leaf
• tomato puree, to taste

• For the Calabrian tartare sauce:
• 1 cup mayo
• 1 1/2 tsp Calabrian chili
• 8 cornichons minced
• 1 tbsp capers
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation Time: 40 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes

For the salsa verde:
Using a blender or food processor blend all the ingredients together, taste for seasoning and adjust consistency if need be.

For the swordfish meatballs:
Toss the swordfish in the salsa verde and sauté in hot sauté pan with olive oil until medium rare. Place into large stainless steal bowl, let cool. When cool, using your hands, squeeze the swordfish into small pieces. Add egg, bread crumbs, chili, salt & pepper, cheese and lemon. Mix well & let cool. Once cool, portion into 25-cent-size pieces, roll into round balls and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Pass the fish balls through the flour, eggs and then panko crumbs. Place in pan to cook until done.

For the fisherman’s sauce:
Sauté onion and garlic for seven minutes in extra-virgin olive oil. Add anchovies, capers, bay leaf and tomato and sauté.

For the Calabrian tartare sauce:
Mix ingredients together and serve with swordfish meatballs.