Finnish Pike Fish Balls(Haukipullat)
Pike is an excellent fish for making fish balls because its large Y-shaped bones, which can otherwise be tricky to remove, are ground down completely when the fish is processed.
These flavourful Finnish pike fish balls are a great family-friendly dish and can be served either as a main course or as a snack with a creamy dip.
Ingredients
Pike Fish Balls
- 500 g (1.1 lb / 17.6 oz) skinless pike fillet
- 1 large onion, about 120 g (4.2 oz)
- 50 ml (3 tbsp + 1 tsp) breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- 100 ml (⅓ cup + 1 tbsp) fresh dill, finely chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- 50 g (4 tbsp / about 1.8 oz) capers
- 100 ml (⅓ cup + 1 tbsp) liquid margarine or melted butter
For Frying
- 1 tbsp liquid margarine, butter or neutral cooking fat
For Serving
- 200 g (7 oz / about ¾ cup) ranch-style sour cream dip
Instructions
1. Prepare the Pike
Cut the skinless pike fillet into smaller pieces.
2. Prepare the Onion
Peel the onion and cut it into wedges.
3. Make the Fish Mixture
Add the pike, onion, breadcrumbs, egg, dill, salt, capers and liquid margarine to a food processor.
Process until the mixture is smooth and evenly combined.
4. Shape the Fish Balls
Moisten your hands with water and shape the fish mixture into small balls.
You should get approximately 25 fish balls.
5. Brown the Fish Balls
Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
Heat the margarine or cooking fat in a large frying pan.
Working in two batches, fry the fish balls until they develop a nicely browned surface.
They do not need to be fully cooked through at this stage.
6. Finish in the Oven
Transfer the browned fish balls to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake on the middle rack of the oven at 200°C (400°F) for approximately 15 minutes, or until cooked through.
7. Serve
Serve the warm pike fish balls with ranch-style sour cream dip.
They work well as a main dish with potatoes and vegetables, or as a smaller snack or appetizer for dipping.
Notes
Pike is particularly well suited to fish balls because grinding the fillet helps deal with its notoriously awkward Y-shaped bones.
Fresh dill and capers give these fish balls a bright, slightly tangy Nordic flavour.
A creamy sour cream dip works beautifully alongside them, but they can also be served with a dill sauce, lemon mayonnaise or another favourite dipping sauce.
Recipe and image source: Valio.fi
