Fish Balls in Bouillabaisse
1 ½ pounds white grunts filets or tilapia filets finely chopped
½ cup celery finely chopped
½ cup onion finely chopped
1 teaspoon old bay seasoning
3 tablespoon fresh parsley
2 eggs
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
Pinch of sea salt & crack black pepper
1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
7 garlic cloves peeled and mashed
1 tablespoon red pepper flake
¼ teaspoon of both Sea salt & cracked black pepper
1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon dry oregano
½ cup white wine
Preheat oven at 450. Line a cookie sheet with foil and grease with a tablespoon of oil and set aside.
In a small non-stick sauté pan on medium high heat cook onions and celery in 1 tablespoon of oil until vegetable are tender. Place in refrigerator to cool completely about 5 minutes.
In a large mixing bowl add fish, cooked vegetables, old bay seasoning, 2 tablespoon parsley, eggs, Italian bread crumbs and salt & pepper mix well. Take a cookie scoop and form 1 ½ in balls and place on greased cookie sheet do this until you run out of mixture should make 20 balls. Roast in oven 18 to 20 minutes.
While fish balls are baking in non-stick pot add 1/3 cup extra virgin olive on and garlic cloves and cook on medium high until garlic cloves are nice and golden be careful not to burn the garlic. Next add red pepper flake, crushed tomatoes, dry oregano and white wine lower heat to simmer and let sauce simmer 15 minutes. Remove fish balls out of the oven and add to sauce and simmer an additional 6 to 8 minutes. Before serving top with remaining tablespoon fresh chopped parsley.