The Trevally Fish Balls- Boulet Karang– are crunchy on the outside and soft and moist in the inside. They are loaded with delicious flavours, from garlic to ginger, green onions and just a touch of chilli . They are usually accompanied with a freshly made creole sauce and make the perfect snack for your next party.
Trevally is abundant in the waters around the Seychelles Islands. It is ideal for this recipe because it has very few small bones , easy to work with and is also an affordable fish.
Bludger trevally or karang balo is the prefered fish for this dish because it is more oily that the other trevally resulting in a moist texture when fried. However, in the absence of karang balo any trevally will do. In fact, this dish can be successfully made with most tropical fish, except probably shark.
Boulet
Boulet derives from ‘boulette’ which is French for small balls.
The Two Versions– the raw and pre-boiled version
There are two versions to this Trevally Fish Balls- Boulet Karang. The main difference lies in the fact that some people like to boil or steam the fish first before mincing or flaking it, while others prepare the dish from raw fish. The end result for both versions is as good, although I find that using the ‘raw fish’ version results in a dish that is very moist on the inside. I have therefore decided to share both versions.
The raw Version
If using raw fish, follow the following procedure:
With a sharp knife, scrape the skin of the trevally to remove the fine scales. Some trevally have no scales and the skin can be cooked and eaten. However, there are some that still have no scales but have a very rough skin and has to be skinned. Skinning involves the delicate removal of the thick outer layer of skin and leaving the fine layer of inner skin on the flesh. This inner skin keeps the flesh together when cooking and also imparts additional flavour to the meat. The skinning process takes some practice and patience. If you are finding it too difficult just remove all the skin. The skin is not critical for the trevally fish balls.
Remove the blood line
The next step is to remove the blood line or locally known as laser which means flesh in French (Fr. la chair). This is an optional step, and I will explain why. The blood line is a set of nerves that makes up the fish lateral lines. It is often what gives fish that undesirable fishy taste. This is due to a toxin that is produced by bacteria if the fish is mishandled. In Seychelles, because most of the the fish is cooked fresh, the bacteria do not have time to produce any toxin, we have had no problem with consuming the bloodline. In fact, in most household it is never removed, although some people are now removing it. The texture is different to the bulk of the flesh and it is an acquired taste. The bloodline also has enzymes from the blood that will speed up the spoilage process.
Preparing the paste- the traditional way
Place the trevally filet on a chopping board, using a kitchen cleaver or a heavy knife, chop the fish meat, for about 10 minutes.
The fish will become slightly sticky as you chop and turn into a rough paste. Do not make the paste too fine as some small chunky pieces of fish contribute to the texture of the end product. Transfer into a bowl when done and refrigerate until needed.
Preparing the paste- The modern way
Once you have removed the flesh from the bones, cut into small cubes and place in a food processor and process into a thick chuncky paste. Transfer to a bowl.
The pre-boiled version
If you prefer to prepare your boulet using the pre-cooked fish version. Clean your trevally and cut it into bite size pieces and season. Boil some water in a medium size pan and add trevally and cook for approximately 10 minutes. Remove fish from cooking liquor, and transfer it into a large bowl and allow to cool. Press the flesh to extract excess liquid and roughly flake .
You may decide to steam the fish instead of boiling it. The advantage in steaming in that the fish will not hold as much moisture as when it is boiled. It will also end up with a more intense flavour.
Mr Harold Lablache, a good friend of ours from the Seychelles makes this version but uses a different method and also extra ingredients. He does not squeeze out the fish after boiling because according to him, it makes the boulet dry. Furthermore, he does not use eggs but he adds two potatoes for bulk and texture, and some cumin for that extra spice punch. He then flatten round balls and deep fry them. Harold , thank you for your contribution.
Mixing all the ingredients
Transfer the flaked cooked fish or the chopped up raw fish in a bowl and thoroughly mix in the other ingredients to form a paste. The paste will be very soft and sticky. In this recipe I have used flour to act as the binding agent. However, my mum always used stale bread. She would soak the stale bread in some water for a few minutes and then squeeze out all the water and then mix the stale bread together with the other ingredients.
Forming the fish balls
Spread some flour over a chopping board, or on your work top, or in a flat tray.
Once you have thoroughly mixed all the ingredients together, oil your hands so that the paste does not stick to them when you are forming the balls. Using a tablespoon, and scoop one tablespoon at a time of the sticky paste and place it in the flour. Gently roll it into a rough ball. Carefully lift it and place it in the palm of your hand and gently shape into a ball of approximately 5 cm in diameter by rolling it between the palm of your hands. The ball will be about 50gm. Do not press the ball to firmly or the ball will not form. Roll the ball again in the flour and keep aside ensuring all excess flour is shaken off. Repeat the process until you have consumed all your paste.
Heat oil in a pan and fry off the fish balls for about 7-8 minutes or until golden brown. Turn them over occasionally to ensure all sides cook evenly. Serve your Trevally Fish Balls- Boulet Karang with freshly made creole sauce or chilli sauce
Here the recipe for Trevally Fish Balls- Boulet Karang
The Trevally Fish Balls- Boulet Karang– are crunchy on the outside and soft and moist in the inside. They are loaded with delicious flavours, from garlic to parsley , green onions and just a touch of chilli .
- 500 g Trevally fillet, all bones removed
- 1 medium size onion, chopped or grated
- 2 tsp crushed garlic
- 2 tsp crushed ginger
- 75 g plain flour
- 2 eggs
- oil for deep frying
- 1 bunch green onion or chives, chopped
- 1 Sprig of thyme, leaves stripped
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley
- 1 hot chilli chopped- optional
- salt and cracked pepper
- extra flour for coating the balls
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Clean and wash the trevally fillet and pat dry.
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Place the trevally filet on a chopping board, remove the skin, and using a kitchen cleaver or a heavy knife, chop the fish meat into a rough paste for about 10 minutes.
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The fish will become slightly sticky as you chop. Do not make the paste too thin as some small chunky pieces of fish contribute to the texture of the end product. keep ( note 1)
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Clean your trevally and cut it into bite size pieces and season.
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Boil some water in a medium size pan and add trevally and cook for approximately 10 minutes. (note 2)
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Remove fish from cooking liquor, and transfer into a large bowl, allow to cool.
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Press the fish to extract excess liquid and roughly flake.
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Transfer the flaked pre-cooked, or chopped raw fish into a bowl and mix in garlic, ginger, thyme, parsley and onion. You may use your hand or a wooden spoon.
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When ingredients are well mixed add the eggs and flour , season and mix thoroughly again. You will end up with a moist , sticky and soft paste.
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Spread some flour over a chopping board or on your work top.
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Oil your hands so that the paste does not stick to them when you are forming the balls.
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Using a tablespoon, and scoop one tablespoon at a time of the sticky paste and place it in the flour. Gently roll it into a rough ball.
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Carefully lift it and place it in the palm of your hand and gently shape into a ball of approximately 5 cm in diameter by gently rolling it between the palm of your hands. The ball will be very soft and will be about 50 gm. Do not press the balls too firmly.
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Roll the ball again in the flour and keep aside ensuring all excess flour is shaken off. Repeat the process until you have consumed all your paste.
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Heat oil in a pan and fry off the fish balls for about 7-8 minutes, or until golden brown. Occasionally turning them over,
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Serve accompanied with freshly made creole sauce or chilli sauce
- This paste is very soft, moist and sticky. It will make trevally fish balls that are very moist and soft on the inside and crispy on the outside.
- You may decide to steam the fish instead of boiling it. The advantage in steaming in that the fish will not hold as much moisture as when it is boiled. It will end up with a more intense flavour.
- Any fish can be used for the boulet, except probably shark. If using small fish , you will need to be extra careful to remove all the bones.
- You may decide to use a food processor if you are not keen on chopping the fish. Use the pulse mode so you have more control. Remember you do not want your paste to be too fine.
- No matter what kind of fish you use here, this recipe will knock your socks off !
Did you make this recipe?
LEAVE A COMMENT
I hope you will enjoy cooking this dish. Please let me know how it turned out for you. If you have a different version of the recipe or have related questions, please leave your comments below.
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