Albondigas de Camarones
These are very hot little firecrackers from the orient. They can be used to add spice to almost any oriental dish. They dry very easily and can be stored and used this way for a long time.
Ingredients:
Meatballs:
1/2 pound cooked shrimp, shelled and finely chopped
2 Tbsp. minced onion
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. ground coriander
2 heaping Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 eggyolk
pinch of salt
For the soup:
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound tomatoes, skinned and chopped
4 thai chiles, stemmed, seeded and chopped
1-1/2 quarts fish stock
2 bay leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Instructions:
Put the chopped shrimp in a bowl with the onion, tomato paste, spices, herbs, flour, egg yolk and salt. Mix well until thoroughly blended, then cover the bowl and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Make the soup:
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and saute the sliced onion and garlic for 10 minutes, until soft. Add the chopped tomatoes and chiles, and cook over low heat for 15 minutes.
Add the fish stock, bay leaves, salt and pepper, and then bring to a boil. Simmer the soup very gently for 30 minutes over low heat.
Divide the shrimp mixture into 12 portions and shape them into small balls. Drop them carefully into the soup. Poach very gently over low heat for 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and serve hot, sprinkled with the chopped cilantro.
Yields 4-6 servings.
Recipe by Heather Thomas.