Mackerel meatballs in tomato sauce

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Mackerel meatballs in tomato sauce
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  • Lactose Free
  • Difficulty: Average
  • Prep time: 60 min
  • Cook time: 45 min
  • Serving: 4

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PRESENTATION

Mackerel meatballs in tomato sauce are built around sgombro — an oily, affordable pesce azzurro with deep, distinctive flavor. Raisins and Parmigiano go into the mixture alongside the fish, which sounds like an odd pairing until you taste it: a soft, sweet-savory bite that has nothing in common with a standard meat meatball.

Everything simmers together in a fragrant tomato sauce that functions as both the cooking medium and the main event. The raisins are doing real work here — their sweetness pushes back against the richness of the fish and keeps things from tipping too heavy. That sauce matters enough that scarpetta, wiping the pan clean with a piece of fresh bread, comes built into the finish rather than left as an afterthought.

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INGREDIENTS

for 16 meatballs
Mackerel 3.3 lbs (1.5 kg) - to be cleaned
Cherry tomato puree 1 ¼ cup (290 g)
White onions 1.8 oz (50 g)
Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese 1.5 oz (40 g)
Raisins 0.7 oz (20 g)
Pine nuts 2 ½ tbsp (20 g)
Breadcrumbs 0.4 oz (10 g)
Eggs 1
Mint to taste
Extra virgin olive oil to taste
Fine salt to taste
for coating and frying
Type 00 flour 0.8 cup (100 g)
Sunflower seed oil 4 ¼ cups (1 l)
for garnish
Pine nuts to taste
Mint to taste
Preparation

How to prepare Mackerel meatballs in tomato sauce

To prepare the mackerel meatballs in tomato sauce, first clean and finely chop the onion 1, then transfer it to a pan with a drizzle of oil 2 and a pinch of salt 3. Let it sweat over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, until soft and translucent.

At this point pour in the datterini tomato purée 4 and stir 5, then simmer gently for about 30 minutes, until the sauce has reduced; finally season with salt. In the meantime, move on to cleaning the mackerel: remove the fins using scissors 6.

Make incisions and take the fillets starting from the tail or the back 7 8. Once you have the fillets, carefully remove any remaining bones 9.

Blanch the mackerel fillets in salted boiling water for 1-2 minutes 10 11, then transfer them to a bowl and let them cool slightly 12.

Then remove the skin 13 and collect the flesh in a bowl 14. Now for the seasoning: chop the pine nuts with a knife 15.

Do the same with the raisins previously soaked in water and drained 16. Break up the fish with your hands 17, then add the pine nuts 18.

Continue with the raisins 19, the beaten egg 20 and the breadcrumbs 21.

Season with grated cheese 22, a pinch of salt 23 and chopped mint 34.

Mix well until you obtain a homogeneous mixture 25. Take small portions of the mixture and form meatballs of about 0.7 oz (20 g) each 26, placing them on a tray as you go 27.

Quickly coat them in flour 28 so they are lightly covered 29. Heat the vegetable oil to about 338°F and fry a few meatballs at a time for 2-3 minutes 30, until golden.

Drain the meatballs 31 on paper towels to remove excess oil 32, then plunge them into the sauce prepared earlier 33.

Let them infuse for a couple of minutes 34. Serve the mackerel meatballs in tomato sauce very hot 35, finishing with fresh mint and chopped pine nuts 36!

Storage

You can store the mackerel meatballs in tomato sauce in the refrigerator for 1-2 days at most, sealed in an airtight container.

You can freeze them if you used fresh ingredients.

Tip

If you want even more flavorful meatballs, try lightly toasting the pine nuts in a small pan before adding them to the mixture: they will release an intense aroma that will perfectly balance the strong taste of the mackerel.

For the translation of some texts, artificial intelligence tools may have been used.
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