“Holiday time is when the most wonderful culinary wishes can come true…” So begins one of our favorite holiday sketches from Saturday Night Live, when Alec Baldwin makes a guest appearances as baker Pete Schweddy on fictional NPR radio program “The Delicious Dish” to talk about his famous holiday special: Schweddy balls.
To celebrate SNL’s 40th anniversary, online candy store It’Sugar produced several of the show’s more memorable edible treats from popular episodes. That’s right, you can now purchase Florence’s Dusty Muffin, Super Bass-O-Matic 76 gummy fish and – you guessed it – Pete’s Famous Schweddy Balls. Sadly, the company was out of stock when I was shopping for friends on my Naughty list.
Sure, it’s a tad juvenile, but aren’t the holidays when you should reconnect with your inner child? The weekend before Christmas is stressful enough: last-minute gifts, visiting relatives, kids out of school, parties to host and attend. Take a moment and indulge with a relatively simple project that still produces a few immature laughs.
Fish balls (you may commence snickering now) are a traditional staple in many Asian and Scandinavian cuisines. Whitefish, often cod or mackerel, is chopped until very fine, then mixed with salt, pepper and a little water to create a dough. The dough is then repeatedly thrown onto a board 60 to 70 times to create a ball with a perfect bouncy consistency. The balls are then fried and sold on the street or poached and served in soups with a stock made from remaining fish scraps.
Bergen fish stew, named for a town in western Norway, combines inexpensive whitefish like cod with fish balls, fresh winter root vegetables, clean herbs and uncomplicated spices. Since Norwegian fish balls are difficult to come in St. Louis, we substituted Chinese fish balls, which can be found at Seafood City and most other Asian markets in St. Louis. At less than $1 a pound, they’re an excellent and inexpensive source of protein.
You must make your own stock for this recipe. (Hey, we gave you a pass on making the fish balls.) Store-bought chicken or vegetable stock is fine in a pinch, but store-bought fish stock is a truly vile-smelling concoction. Homemade fish stock, on the other hand, is quite lovely and easy to make. Bob’s Seafood will happily sell you bones and heads; call ahead to make sure they set some aside.
The end results of this stew is somewhere between a chowder and a soup full of delicate fish flavor. Thicken it with a dollop or two of sour cream enriched with egg yolks (Those leery of raw eggs should omit them.) and chopped chives. Let this simmer away while you finish the last of your gift wrapping, then serve yourself a light, comforting meal to balance out all that holiday decadence.
The Game Plan Day 1: Make the Fish Stock.
Day 2: Make the Fish Stew.
The Shopping List* 4-5 lbs. fish bones and heads
2 small onions
5 carrots
5 celery stalks
6-7 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1 cup dry white
1 celery root or celeriac
3 parsnips
1½ cups cream
1-2 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
15-20 whitefish balls**
2-3 lbs. firm whitefish fillets such as cod, halibut or trout
8 oz. sour cream
¼-½ cup minced chives
*This list assumes you have salt, butter, flour, sugar and eggs at hand in your kitchen. if not, you will need to purchase them, too.
Fish Stock Makes about 6 quarts
4-5 lbs. fish bones and heads*
2 small onions, peeled and quartered
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
6-7 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1 cup dry white
6 quarts cold water
1 Tbsp. kosher salt
? Day 1: Place the bones, onions, carrots, celery, thyme, bay leaves, wine and cold water in a stockpot and bring to a boil over high heat. As it heats, skim off any scum that gathers on the surface. Once it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low. Let simmer about 30 minutes, skimming the surface as needed.
? Taste and season with salt. Strain the stock through a fine mesh strainer. Discard the solids. Stock will keep, frozen, up to 3 months.
*Available at Bob’s Seafood. Call ahead to request the required amount.
Bergen Fish Stew 8 servings
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 celery root or celeriac, peeled and cut into sticks 1-inch long batons
3 parsnips, peeled and diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
3 stalks celery, chopped
3 quarts Fish Stock (Recipe above.)
1½ cups cream
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. sugar
1-2 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
Kosher salt to taste
15-20 whitefish balls**
2-3 lbs. firm whitefish fillets such as cod, halibut or trout, cut into bite-sized pieces
8 oz. sour cream
¼-½ cup minced chives
3 egg yolks
? Day 2: In a small bowl, whisk together the cream and flour. Set aside.
? In a large stockpot, melt the butter over medium-high heat without browning it. Add the celery root, parsnips, carrots and celery. Stir to coat and let soften slightly, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the fish stock and bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low. Simmer 5 to 7 minutes.
? Stir in the flour and cream mixture, sugar and rice wine vinegar. Taste and season with salt. Return to a simmer over medium heat, then reduce the heat to low again, adjusting as needed to maintain a gentle simmer.
? Add the fish balls cook 2 to 3 minutes. Add the fish stir occasionally cooked through, 5 to 10 minutes.
? Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, chives and egg yolks. Set aside.
? To serve, ladle the stew into a bowl and top with a dollop of the sour cream mixture. Stew will keep, refrigerated, 7 to 10 days or frozen up to 3 months.
**Available at Seafood City or other Asian markets in St. Louis.
-photos by Michelle Volansky
This article appears in December 2014.