This recipe for Albóndigas de Choco is typical of Andalusia, specifically Huelva and other areas of the Costa de la Luz, such as Cádiz. There, dishes containing choco, jibia or, what is the same, cuttlefish are very typical; you can find this ingredient in most bars and restaurants in the area.
The word choco is usually used when this cephalopod is younger or smaller, while cuttlefish is used when it is adult or older. In this case, Albóndigas de Choco consist of giving a ball shape to a dough composed of choco itself, egg, parsley, breadcrumbs and garlic. In addition, the fishballs are accompanied by a delicious sauce for which not many ingredients are needed. It is not an easy recipe to prepare, but the result is totally worth it. It will surely become one of your favourite dishes!
Ingredients for the Albóndigas de Choco Recipe:
- 500 g choco or cuttlefish
- 100 g bread crumbs
- Flour
- 1 beaten egg
- 1 clove of garlic
- Parsley
- Olive oil
For the sauce of the Albóndigas de Choco:
- 150 ml of white wine
- Half an onion
- 1 clove of garlic
- Fish stock
- 2 strands of saffron
- Salt
How to Make the Albóndigas de Choco Recipe:
- Clean the choco or cuttlefish, drain the water well and cut it into very small pieces. Chop the garlic too.
- Mix the choco, the garlic and a handful of parsley in a bowl. Then add the bread crumbs and the beaten egg and mix everything again until you have a dough that is suitable for making fishballs. You can also crush it if you prefer the pieces of choco not to be so obvious.
- Now it is time to prepare the albóndigas de choco. To do this, pour some flour into a bowl, shape the dough you have prepared in the previous step into the shape of a meatball and roll it in the flour.
- Fry the albóndigas de choco in a frying pan with plenty of oil on a medium high heat until they are golden. When they are ready, remove them from the frying pan and leave them on a plate with kitchen paper to get rid of the excess oil.
- Then prepare the sauce. Peel, chop the onion and put it (over a medium low heat until it becomes transparent) in the same oil used to make the fishballs. This is done so that any leftover flour in the oil gives more consistency to the sauce on the albóndigas de choco.
- When the onion is tender and transparent, add the finely chopped garlic and let it brown. Then take both ingredients out of the pan and put them in the blender together with a dash of fish stock. Mash them until they have a consistency similar to that of a purée.
- In a casserole where all the albóndigas de choco can fit, add them and pour in the white wine. Let it evaporate over a high heat for a few minutes. Then add the garlic and onion “puree” and the fish stock. Also add the crushed saffron to make the fishballs even more tasty. Taste the salt and adjust it to taste.
- Finally, leave everything to cook over a medium heat until the sauce thickens (15-20 minutes) and you have your albóndigas de choco ready. Do not forget to accompany them with a good piece of bread.
