Freshwater fish served in an unexpected way: Isa Mazzocchi transforms it into meatballs that are crispy on the outside and melt-in-the-mouth on the inside. All you need is carp, breadcrumbs, egg, and a fragrant broth to create these flavorful morsels.

Photo of the chef by Andrea Moretti

INGREDIENTS (serves 6)

For the meatballs

300 g carp meat
200 g fish stock
100 g extra virgin olive oil
1 egg
Breadcrumbs
Salt and pepper

For the potato ketchup

400 g potatoes
100 g white wine vinegar
50 g caster sugar
For the liquid lettuce
500 g lettuce leaves
1 clove of garlic
Rosemary
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt

To garnish

Wild salad greens and wildflowers.

Preparation

Start with the potato ketchup by steaming the diced potatoes for about 7 minutes. Once cooked, transfer them to a pan with the vinegar and sugar and cook until the potatoes have completely absorbed the vinegar and sugar and are soft and well cooked.

Blend with a hand blender, pass through a sieve and store in a bottle. For the liquid lettuce, heat a cast iron pan with the oil, the crushed garlic clove and the sprigs of rosemary. Once the garlic is browned, add the lettuce leaves, cover with a lid and cook for a few minutes. Remove the lid, add salt, and blend with a hand blender. Pass through a sieve and keep warm.

For the carp meatballs, bring the diced carp meat to -70°C, then blend. Add the oil and fish stock a little at a time until the mixture is compact. Season with salt and pepper and shape into small balls, which you then dip in egg and breadcrumbs. Fry them in extra virgin olive oil at 180°C for a few minutes, so that they form a nice crust on the outside.

Serve on individual plates with the liquid lettuce at the bottom, add the meatballs with their ketchup on top, and finish the dish with wild salad and wild flowers.