Thai Fish Balls with Lime Mayonnaise

Fish frys are a big deal in Wisconsin, and finding a good one is always a topic of conversation at work. Sure, I make my own fish fry about three times a month, and it is a major hit with the family, plus I save a ton of money. There are times however, that as much I want a fish fry, I actually want something just slightly different, and last week was one of those times. After posting a question to all of my Facebook friends on what they were excited to eat for Easter, one of my friend’s stated some Thai dishes. The light immediately came on, and I had a real craving for not only Thai food, but fish in particular. This is where Thai fish balls come into play.

Call them Thai meatballs if you will, but call them delicious. These balls will be a real surprise to you and your guests. Make them as an appetizer, or an entree, as you will not go wrong with these. Oh yeah, and the dipping sauce that I made was something that I thought paired really well. Think of your Wisconsin fish fry, typically fried cod with tartar sauce, kicked up to a Thai-style, but instead of tartar sauce, a lime mayonnaise! Enough already, I am drooling just thinking about them.

Ingredients:

• 3 medium cod fillets, cut into quarters
• 1-2 tbsp of red curry paste (2 if you like more heat)
• 1 kaffir lime leaf, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, stems and leaves, rough chop
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• Canola oil for frying, roughly 2 cups

Place everything but the cooking oil in a food processor, and begin to pulse the fish and other ingredients down, not into a paste, but pretty darn close. You still want a bit of texture with the cod. Remove the blade from the processor, and with a spoon, begin to form your fish balls. Place the fish balls on a baking sheet lined with wax paper, and once all balls are formed, place these in the refrigerator for about 1 1/2 hours.

Heat your oil to about 360 degrees. Drop about 4-6 balls in the hot oil, gently moving around for only about 3-4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on some paper towel to let any excess oil drain.

Serve with lime mayonnaise, recipe is below.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of mayonnaise
• 1 lime, zested and juiced
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp of fresh cilantro, chopped
• pinch of salt
• pinch of black pepper

Mix the ingredients together, and place in the refrigerator for at least one hour. Serve with the fish balls, dip your fries in it, or spread on your favorite deli sandwich. Whichever you chose, it is a real winner.