These meatballs made with Legal Sea Foods Center Cut Cod Loins are melt-in-your-mouth delicious and tender. The depth of flavor in the tomato sauce adds layer upon layer of vibrant aromatic goodness to the flaky fish, which is flash frozen within hours of catch to protect its delicate, mild taste. Serve these meatballs with fresh pasta, creamy polenta, or mashed potatoes, and you’ve got yourself the perfect comfort meal!
Brought to you by @chicagolovespanini
Yield: 4
Ingredients:
- 2-6oz Legal Sea Foods Center Cut Cod Loins, thawed to room temperature as per package instructions, gently patted dry with a paper towel
- 1 whole egg
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Italian hard cheese (such as Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano/Toscano) + extra for decoration, if desired
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs + extra, if needed
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 28oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 cup fresh chopped parsley + extra for decoration, if desired
- 5 tbsp olive oil + extra, if needed
- 1-2 cups warm water, if needed
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Cut the cod into cubes and grind in a meat grinder or a food processor.
- Heat 2 tbsp oil in a saucepan. One by one, sauté the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic in the pan over medium heat for about 3-4 minutes each or until translucent, turning the pieces over with a spatula half-way through cooking, and adding more oil if needed. Set aside.
- Place the ground cod, egg, cheese, breadcrumbs, Italian seasoning, half of the sautéed onion and garlic, 1/2 cup fresh parsley, and salt and pepper to taste in a medium-size bowl. Mix until well combined. Make meatballs out of this mixture, using about 2 tbsp per meatball, or as desired. If the meatballs are wet and falling apart, add extra breadcrumbs, 1 tbsp at a time, until they no longer stick to your hands.
- Heat 3 tbsp oil in a saucepan. Brown the meatballs in batches of 4-5 at a time over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until evenly lightly browned on all sides, turning them over with a spatula, and adding more oil if needed. Set aside.
- Place the canned tomatoes, carrots, celery, and remaining onion and garlic in a medium-size pot, and bring to simmer over medium heat until slightly thickened and a vibrant red color, about 30 minutes.
- Add the meatballs to the sauce and cook for a further 15-20 minutes over medium heat. Add extra water if the sauce has reduced down too much. Season to taste, and add the remaining fresh parsley just before taking off the heat.
- Serve the meatballs warm, with extra freshly grated cheese and/or parsley on top if desired, on their own or with pasta, creamy polenta, or mashed potatoes.
- Enjoy!
