SQUID & PRAWN FISHBALLS WITH SAFFRON SAUCE

Meatballs are usually made with beef or pork, but using the same technique is a really nice way to cook fish too. Serve these with boiled white rice or bread – or both!

Mix the squid and prawns with the saffron, garlic, all but a sprinkling of the parsley, the chillies and the bread (squeeze out the milk). The mixture should have a dumpling-like consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Add 2 eggs — do not whisk them, but mix them in with your hands. Leave to rest for a couple of hours in the fridge.

Now mould the mixture into 40g balls, coating them with flour to make them less sticky. Whisk the remaining 4 eggs in a bowl. Put a heavy-based frying pan on a medium heat and pour in 3cm of rapeseed or sunflower oil. When the oil is hot, dip the floured fishballs in the egg mix for a second, letting any excess drip off, then cook them for 1–1½ minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.

To make the saffron sauce, put the oil into a pan on a medium heat. Add the onions and bay leaf and season. Cook the onions until they start to caramelize and get a little colour, then add the saffron. Pour in the wine and cook to evaporate the alcohol, then add the stock and bring to the boil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Whiz to a light sauce in a blender, then put back into the pan and add the fishballs. Cook until the fishballs are tender and the sauce is sticky. To finish, garnish with the reserved parsley.