I think everyone I know who makes homemade fish balls (or cakes) prefers to make the fish paste at home too. As opposed to when you buy ready made fish paste, it gives you control over the texture, and freshness of the fish balls dish.
But we’ll get into that later on.
So, how do you configure how many fish cakes/balls you need for any particular meal?
It depends on the occasion:
- Served as a main dish alongside salads: 4-5 balls.
- As the first course with salads: 2-3 balls
- Just a snack: 3 balls
Main Ingredients: Your White Fish Combo:
You can use any of the following white fish, but it’s best to combine at least 2 types because each one has a different degree of moisture, dryness, and fat. By combining at least 2, you get a more balanced texture that will end up moist and soft.
For example:
- The fish mixture for this recipe is made of 2/3 of a sea bass fillet to 2 fillets tilapia.
- Or: 1/4 part red tuna, 1/4 part salmon, 1/2 part cod
- Or: 1/4 part cod, 1/4 part tilapia, 1/2 part salmon
- Or: 1/3 part cod, 1/3 part salmon, 1/3 part red
Preparation
- Slice pre-marinated raw fish fillets (skinless and boneless sliced down the middle fish) into chunks.
2. Drain of water.
3. Split into 2 portions and pulse each portion separately in the food processor.
Now you’re ready to make Spicy Moroccan Fish balls or Mild fish balls.
Planning Ahead: Configuring ball size
If you’re making 30 medium (ping pong size) fish balls, create 55-gram (2-ounce) balls each.
If you want 40 small fish cakes, use a scale to weigh 40 grams (1.40 ounces) each. Mold balls and press them in between your palms to form cakes.
- Make sure there are no bones or cartilage in the fish.
- Place in a large bowl and drizzle 1/2 cup lemon juice on top. Marinate for 10-15 minutes.
- Remove from the bowl and dry with paper towels.
The mixture in the featured image is the fish mixture of Tilapia with Sea bass, seasoning, panko, and a large egg. It’s ready for the molding of the balls or cakes, just before tossing them into a simmering sauce.
Advantages to Making Your Own Coarsely Ground Fish Paste
- You have control of the texture. Remember, we want coarsely ground/pulsed/chopped fish paste and not pureed paste.
- You know exactly what goes into your fish balls when grinding it at home. You never know what fish parts go into store-bought ground fish.
- You have more control of the percentage of each type of white fish that goes into the mixture, thereby controlling its end texture. Some types of white fish have higher fatty contents and hence are smoother and more moist, like tilapia or salmon, versus tuna which is much drier.
- Home ground fish is thought to be much tastier.
- It’s also more cost effective than buying ready ground fish.
After grinding the coarse fish paste, it’s now ready for seasoning and binding ingredients to then be molded into balls and tossed into a savory mild tomato-red bell pepper sauce.
Mild (non-spicy) Moroccan Fish Balls or Cakes Israeli Style
Good luck!
How to Coarsely Pulse Fish Paste
Here are 3 easy ways to make coarse fish paste: Grind it, pulse it, chop it, the way it's done for Moroccan fish balls or cakes.
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Materials
- 1600 grams (3-1/2 pounds) raw skinless white fish fillets
- Marinade: 2/3 cup lemon juice
Tools
For the Marinade:
- Large bowl for marinating the fish
- Paper towels
Meat Grinder:
- Use the large-hole plate — perfect for achieving the right texture.
Food Processor:
- Use the S-shaped chopping blades to pulse the fish gently.
Manual Chopping:
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife
Knife options:
- Stainless steel chef’s knife
- Chinese cleaver — great for chopping fish
Instructions
Marinating
- Place the skinless fish fillets in a large bowl and pour the lemon juice on top. With you hands, make sure that all of the fillets get covered with the juice. Set aside 15 minutes.
- Remove the marinated fish from the lemon juice and dry with paper towels (don't rinse them).
How to Prepare Coarse Fish Paste - 3 Ways
1. Using a Meat Grinder: Takes around 10 minutes.
- Cut the fish into large chunks that fit your grinder, or 2-inch pieces.
- Attach the large-hole plate to your meat grinder, or small holes if cooking for babies.
- Feed the fish chunks through the grinder once or twice until you get a coarse but consistent texture.
2. Using a Food Processor: Takes around 10 minutes.
- Cut the fish into 2-inch pieces.
- Insert and properly position the S-shaped chopping blades in the bowl.
- Place the fish in the food processor to fill up to less than the height of 1/2 of the bowl.
Pulse the fish in short bursts (about 4 pulses per set x 3 sets), scraping down the sides with a spatula or spoon between sets. Repeat 2–3 times until you achieve a chunky but well-mixed texture. 
3. Chopping Manually: Takes a bit longer than 10 minutes.
- Place the fish on a clean cutting board.
- Use one of the following knives: a stainless steel chef’s knife, a Chinese cleaver, or a mezzaluna (a double-handled rocking knife).
- Chop the fish into small, roughly 1/5 cm pieces by repeatedly rocking or cutting until evenly chopped.
- Take your time — this method gives you great control over texture.
After grinding/pulsing/manually chopping the raw
Tip:
You can coarsely chop the fresh herbs called for in the recipe (without stems) and then toss them into the food processor along with the pulsing raw fish. If you prefer a green-tint texture, this would be a great way to do it.
If not, just add the herbs along with the rest of the seasoning and binding ingredients to the coarsely made paste after finishing to grind/pulse/chop the raw fish.