Catalan Kitchen LogoThe Catalan Table
Meatballs with Cuttlefish - Forki
Tender meatballs made of pork and beef, cooked with juicy cuttlefish in a rich and flavorful sauce.
meat
seafood
stew
main dish
Ingredients
Servings:
4

Ingredientes

  • 200 gminced pork
  • 200 gminced beef
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2 clovesgarlic
  • 2 pinchessalt
  • parsley
  • 1 pinchblack pepper
  • bread crumb
  • milk
  • 2 tablespoonsbreadcrumbs (grated)
  • oil
  • wheat flour for coating

For the sofrito

  • 200 gcuttlefish or squid
  • 250 mlfish stock
  • 1 medium onion
  • 2 tomatoes (ripe or commercial tomato pulp)
  • 2 clovesgarlic
  • 1 apple
  • 1 green pepper
  • 1 chocolate bar
  • 1 cupwhite wine
  • 1 cupkonjac
  • salt, black pepper, and sweet paprika optional: a pinch of ground clove, grated nutmeg
Nutritional Information

Per Serving (Approx.)

Calories
754 kcal
Protein
59 g
Fat
28 g
Carbohydrates
63 g

Disclaimer: These values are estimates based on ingredient types and may not be precise.

Step-by-step Guide

To Make the Meatballs

  • Finely chop the garlic and mince the parsley leaves.
  • Mince the pork and beef, preferably having the butcher give it to us already minced and well mixed.
  • In a large bowl, place the minced meats, the beaten egg, the garlic and parsley mixture, the bread soaked in milk, salt, and black pepper, and mix everything well with your hands until you achieve a homogeneous mixture.
  • If the mixture is not firm enough, add two tablespoons of breadcrumbs. The consistency should be soft but not liquid.
  • Once everything is well mixed, form small balls by taking small amounts and rolling them between the palms of your hands until the desired shape is achieved.
  • Lightly flour the balls, ensuring they are well covered.
  • Pour sufficient oil into a pan over medium-high heat and, once hot, reduce the heat to medium and fry the meatballs for about 5-7 minutes, turning them often until golden brown.
  • Once fried, place the meatballs on a plate lined with kitchen paper to absorb the excess oil. Set aside.

Sauté

  • Clean the cuttlefish or squid thoroughly and cut into relatively small pieces, about 2-3 cm. If using cuttlefish, reserve the liver (the brown sauce) to add at the end of the sautéing process, as it will enhance the flavor of the dish.
  • Finely chop the onion and set aside for the next step.
  • Finely chop the garlic and set it aside along with the onion.
  • Chop the green pepper into very small pieces, about 1 cm. Set it aside with the rest of the chopped vegetables.
  • Peel the tomatoes and remove the seeds. Make two cross-shaped cuts at the base of each tomato, bring water to a boil in a pot, and blanch the tomatoes for 1 minute. Once blanched, peel them, cut them in half, remove the seeds, and chop the flesh into small pieces. Set aside the chopped flesh.
  • Add oil to a large pot and heat it over low heat.
  • Sauté the onion and the cuttlefish, cut into pieces, over low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Note: if you are using squid, do not sauté it yet.
  • When the onion starts to become translucent, add the peeled apple cut into small cubes of about 1 cm.
  • Follow with the addition of the tomato pulp, chopped garlic, and chopped green pepper. Let everything cook on low heat for about 30 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Note: if you are using squid, add it when the tomato has been cooking for about 15 minutes.
  • When the sofregit has been cooking for 30 minutes, add a small glass of cognac and a small piece of chocolate. Stir to mix well.
  • After 2 minutes, start adding the fish broth, bringing the boil to a minimum and stirring gradually for about 15 minutes.
  • Finally, add the white wine, salt, spices to your liking, and chopped parsley. If desired, incorporate the cuttlefish roe. Cook on low heat for about 15 more minutes.
  • Optional: you can accompany the dish with small diced potatoes (1 cm cubes). Add them when you incorporate the wine so they cook together with the rest.
  • Finally, add the meatballs and let everything cook together for 15 more minutes. Optional: if you decide to add peas, incorporate them during the final necessary minutes to cook (if they are tender pea shoots, 5 minutes will be sufficient).
  • In total, the cuttlefish will have cooked for about 1 hour and 30 minutes, ensuring it is very tender.
Recommendations & Tricks
  • You can make the meatballs with cuttlefish or squid, but with cuttlefish, it must be cooked at least an additional 10-15 minutes to ensure tenderness.
  • Use 200 g of finely selected minced pork and 200 g of finely selected minced beef to ensure the result is tasty and succulent.
  • Mix one whole egg well with the meat to help the meatballs maintain their shape during cooking.
  • Finely chop 2-3 garlic cloves to achieve a more uniform flavor in the meatballs.
  • Add 2 pinches of salt and a pinch of black pepper, season to taste but start with these amounts for an adequate balance of flavors.
  • Finely chop some parsley leaves and add them to the mixture to give the dish a fresh touch.
  • Soak the bread crumb in milk before incorporating it into the meat mixture to add extra moisture and improve texture.