Curry Fish Ball Skewers

My first memories of grilling out weren’t of a typical American meal of hamburgers, hot dogs, or barbecue chicken. Instead, my Chinese family used a park grill or firepit and we did all our cooking on skewers, s’mores-style.

It was a leisurely paced meal actually a bit similar to hot pot, where we threaded fish balls, sausages, or chicken wings onto a wooden skewer and patiently cooked each one over the open flame. The food picked up some smoky flavor and got a little char on the outside, and each bite was extra-satisfying because you cooked it yourself. I took this idea of grilling out with my family and made a riff on the classic Hong Kong street food of curry fish balls. The result is this easy skewer recipe with chewy fish balls coated in a coconut curry sauce that you can serve as an appetizer or main dish at your next grill fest.

Chinese fish balls are chewy balls of fish paste. They’re different from most Western or European meatballs, where you usually want a tender texture that’s moist on the inside. Instead, fish paste is mixed with enough starch and is handled enough so the texture is chewy, bouncy, and what’s known in Chinese as QQ, or extra-chewy. They’re generally mild in flavor and come in a range of textures, from coarsely ground to finely ground fish.

For this recipe, you’ll need fish balls that aren’t too big, so go for 3/4- to 1-inch-wide ones. Fish balls, which are usually sold fully cooked, are available in the refrigerated or freezer section of Asian markets. Some fish balls are stuffed (usually the larger ones), but I prefer the unstuffed ones. You can choose between plain ones, which are white, or fried ones, which are brown on the outside. You can also make your fish balls — just make sure to boil or fry them first. 

• Make the marinade. Stir coconut milk, garlic, fish sauce, curry powder, and sugar together to make an easy marinade.
• Marinate the fish balls. Add the fish balls (thawed if frozen) and some scallion pieces to the marinade and let them sit while the grill heats up. Make sure the grill is clean and your skewers are soaked if you’re using wooden or bamboo.
• Assemble the skewers. Thread the fish balls and scallions onto the skewers, alternating them. Poke through the scallion pieces crosswise.
• Grill the skewers. Grill the skewers until the fish balls are hot and are charred in spots. Because they’re already cooked, it should only take a few minutes.

The skewers can be served on their own as an appetizer, or with steamed rice or a light salad, like this crunchy cabbage and ramen noodle salad. They would also be tasty wrapped up in lettuce leaves with some mint, cilantro, and cucumber on top.