Seven Star Fish Balls

Name: Seven Star Fish Balls
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 200 g Sea eel (or shark) meat, minced into a paste; 75 g Pork leg meat, skinless and sinew-free, finely minced; 40 g Shrimp meat, finely minced; a pinch Celery, finely chopped; White pepper powder; Salt, used in stages; 75 g Water chestnut starch; 20 g Sesame oil; 700 g Clear chicken broth (with a pinch of salt); about 30 g Water (stirred into the fish paste)

Seven Star Meatballs (七星丸) are a classic Fujian dish made by wrapping a pork and shrimp filling in fish paste, shaping the mixture into meatballs, boiling, and serving with a clear broth.

50 min

Easy

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Ingredients

Sea eel (or shark) meat, minced into a paste 200 g

Pork leg meat, skinless and sinew-free, finely minced 75 g

Shrimp meat, finely minced 40 g

Celery, finely chopped a pinch

White pepper powder

Salt, used in stages

Water chestnut starch 75 g

Sesame oil 20 g

Clear chicken broth (with a pinch of salt) 700 g

Water (stirred into the fish paste) about 30 g

Instructions

Making the Fish Paste

Mince the fish meat with the back of a cleaver into a paste, the finer the better. In summer, work quickly so that heat from the friction between the blade and the cutting board does not spoil the fish. Once minced, add about 30 g of water and beat vigorously, then add 30 g of salt and continue stirring until the paste becomes light, fluffy, and well expanded.

Making the Meat Filling

Remove the skin and sinews from the pork leg meat, combine it with the shrimp meat, mince finely, and mix in a pinch of salt.

Wrapping and Poaching the Balls

With the left hand, squeeze the fish paste between the thumb and forefinger to form small balls; with the right hand, immediately tuck a tiny amount of the pork and shrimp filling into the center of each ball. Drop each finished ball into a pot of plain water and poach for about ten minutes.

Plating the Dish

In a separate clean pot, pour in the clear chicken broth (with a pinch of salt). Lift the cooked fish balls out of the poaching water and transfer them to the broth pot, bring to a boil, then ladle the broth and fish balls into a serving bowl, scatter with chopped celery and white pepper, drizzle with sesame oil, and serve.