Crispy fish balls

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 6 mushrooms (dried shiitake mushrooms)
• 1 clove(s) garlic
• 1 lime(s), untreated
• 1 red chili pepper(s)
• 1 bunch of spring onions
• 500 g cod fillet(s)
• 1 tbsp oil (sesame oil)
• 1 egg(s), of which the egg white
• some salt
• 2 tbsp breadcrumbs
• ½ liter oil (peanut oil), for frying
• some lettuce leaves for garnishing
• some lemon slices for garnishing

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 30 minutes

Rinse the mushrooms and soak them in lukewarm water for about 30 minutes. Peel and halve the garlic clove. Rinse the lime under hot water, dry it, and grate the zest. Squeeze out the juice. Wash the chili pepper, slit it lengthwise, remove the seeds, and dice the chili pepper very finely. Trim, wash, and finely chop the spring onions. Rinse the fish fillet, pat it dry, and cut it into large cubes. Mince the fish cubes using the fine disk of a meat grinder. Then chill the stuffing. Remove the mushroom stems and finely dice the caps. Heat oil in a wok and stir-fry the mushroom cubes. Squeeze in the garlic clove, add the lime zest and chili cubes, fry everything briefly, and add the lime juice. Stir the cooled mushroom mixture and egg white into the fish stuffing and season with a little salt. Gradually knead in the breadcrumbs until a pliable mass forms. Knead the finely chopped spring onions into the fish stuffing and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Heat the frying oil in a wok. With moistened hands, form the fish stuffing into about 25 small balls. Fry the fish balls in batches in the oil until golden brown. Drain the fish balls on kitchen paper and arrange them on lettuce leaves, garnishing with lemon slices.