Fish Balls:
1-1/2 skinned and filleted flounder*
1/2 cup matzo meal
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
olive oil for frying

Sauce:
2 cups canned whole tomatoes with their juice, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of 1 large lemon
Salt and pepper

Garnish:
soft-leafed lettuce
chopped parsley or cilantro (coriander)
lemon quarters

*or haddock, cod, scrod, sole, hake, sea bass, snapper or grouper

Make Fish Balls:
Cut the fish into 1" pieces. In a food processor, puree them with matzo meal, eggs, garlic, salt, cumin, and cayenne until mixture is smooth. Transfer the puree to a large bowl and refrigerate it covered for one hour.

With moistened hands, shape the mixture into 16 slightly flattened logs, using a scant 1/4 cup for each. Transfer them as they are formed to a sheet of wax paper.

Heat 1/4" of oil over high heat in a large, heavy skillet until it is hot but not smoking. Add the fish balls in batches and fry, turning them once until pale golden. Transfer balls to paper towels.

Make Sauce:
Wipe out the skillet. Add the tomatoes and their juice, olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Cook over high heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes break up and the sauce is thickened.

Assembly:
Add the fish balls and simmer the mixture over low heat, covered for 15 minutes, turning fish balls once or twice. Remove the skillet from the heat and allow fish to cool in sauce.

Line a platter with lettuce. Arrange fish balls on them, and spoon sauce over fish. Sprinkle with parsley or cilantro, and accompany with lemon wedges. Serve the fish chilled or at room temperature.

Posted by Nancy Berry

Nutritional Info Per Serving: N/A