Recipe Manuscript

Delicious Fish Balls

Name: Delicious Fish Balls
Prep time: PTPT15M
Cook time: PTPT35M
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 900 grams potatoes, peeled and boiled; 240 milliliters (approx. 120 grams) cooked white fish (e.g., cod or haddock), flaked very fine; 1 large egg, yolk and white separated; 5 grams (1 teaspoon) unsalted butter; 15 milliliters (1 tablespoon) heavy cream; salt, to taste; pinch of ground cayenne (or red) pepper; 1 teaspoon onion juice or finely grated onion; 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped; 750 milliliters neutral oil (such as sunflower or canola) for frying

1903

From the treasured pages of Cooking in old Créole days. La cuisine créole à l'usage des petits ménages

Written by Célestine Eustis

Early Modern Kitchen (1900 - 1930)American Beginner Intermediate Lunch Dinner Snack

Original Recipe • 1903

Original Manuscript(circa Early Modern Kitchen, 1900 - 1930)

As inscribed by the original author's hand, transcribed with care by Lost Kitchen Scrolls

Delicious Fish Balls

"Take a quart of hot potatoes, freshly boiled, a cup of warmed fish picked very fine, one egg, the white and yellow beaten lightly separately, a teaspoonful of nice butterr, a tablespoonful of fresh cream, add salt, red pepper, a little onion juice, and parsley chopped fine. Beat the whole to a light cream. Roll in balls and drop into plenty of very hot lard, like doughnuts, stirring them all the time."

Note on the Original Text

The recipe is written in the concise, sometimes poetic style common in early 20th-century cookbooks—assumed you knew your way around a kitchen! Quantities are given in familiar household measures (cups, spoons, handfuls), and heat is judged by experience rather than precision. Spelling and punctuation reflect both French and English influences, and terms like 'quart' or 'tablespoonful' were standard then. 'Red pepper' here means what we’d call cayenne or hot pepper today, and 'onion juice' simply refers to the juice yielded by finely grating or crushing an onion.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Cooking in old Créole days. La cuisine créole à l'usage des petits ménages - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Cooking in old Créole days. La cuisine créole à l'usage des petits ménages (1903)

You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome

Writer

Célestine Eustis

Era

1903

Publisher

R.H. Russell

Background

Take a delicious journey back in time with this charming bilingual collection of Creole and American recipes, crafted for cozy households. Célestine Eustis blends French flair with Southern soul, guiding both the novice and seasoned gourmand through the distinct flavors and delightful traditions of old Creole kitchens.

Kindly made available by

Internet Archive

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe comes from 'La cuisine créole à l'usage des petits ménages', a classic Creole cookbook published in 1903 in New York by Célestine Eustis. The cookbook is a celebration of Louisiana’s old Creole culinary traditions, blending French, Spanish, African, and American influences into a uniquely New Orleans style. Fish balls like these were a thrifty way to use leftover fish and potatoes, turning humble fare into something elegant and delicious. The use of both egg yolk and white, as well as enriching ingredients like butter and cream, shows the French influence on Creole cookery, where even simple dishes were elevated with refined technique and a dash of luxury.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

In the early 1900s kitchen, these fish balls would have been made with a large mortar and pestle or a sturdy wooden bowl and masher to blend the potatoes and fish smoothly. A sharp knife would be used to finely chop herbs and onions. The frying would be done in a heavy, deep cast-iron pot or Dutch oven, set over an open fire or wood-burning stove, using lard or rendered animal fat for frying. Long-handled spoons or ladles would be used to turn the fish balls as they browned.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

35 mins

Servings

We've done our best to adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, but some details may still need refinement. We warmly welcome feedback from fellow cooks and culinary historians — your insights support the entire community!

Ingredients

2 pounds potatoes, peeled and boiled
1 cup (approx. 4 ounces) cooked white fish (e.g., cod or haddock), flaked very fine
1 large egg, yolk and white separated
1 teaspoon (0.18 ounces) unsalted butter
1 tablespoon (0.5 fluid ounces) heavy cream
salt, to taste
pinch of ground cayenne (or red) pepper
1 teaspoon onion juice or finely grated onion
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
3 1/4 cups neutral oil (such as sunflower or canola) for frying

Instructions

To create these delectable fish balls using modern kitchen methods, begin by boiling approximately 2 pounds of potatoes until fork-tender.
While your potatoes are still hot, mash them well.
Add about 1 cup of gently warmed, finely flaked cooked white fish such as cod or haddock.
Separate one large egg, beating the yolk and the white lightly in different bowls before folding them into the mixture individually.
Add 1 teaspoon (about 0.18 ounces) of unsalted butter and 1 tablespoon (0.5 fluid ounces) of heavy cream.
Season to taste with a generous pinch of sea salt, a dash of ground cayenne pepper, a teaspoon of finely grated onion or a few drops of onion juice, and a tablespoon of fresh parsley, minced finely.
Stir the mixture until it becomes smooth and light, almost creamy in texture.
Form the mixture into golf-ball-sized rounds.
Heat around 3 1/4 cups of neutral oil (such as sunflower or canola) in a deep pot to roughly 356°F.
Fry the balls in batches, turning them gently until they are golden brown and crisp on all sides, around 3–4 minutes.
Drain on paper towels before serving.

Estimated Calories

220 per serving

Cooking Estimates

It takes about 15 minutes to prepare your ingredients and mash the potatoes. Cooking the potatoes and frying the fish balls adds another 35 minutes. Each serving has about 220 calories, and this recipe makes 8 servings.

As noted above, we have made our best effort to translate and adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, taking into account ingredients nowadays, cooking techniques, measurements, and so on. However, historical recipes often contain assumptions that require interpretation.

We'd love for anyone to help improve these adaptations. Community contributions are highly welcome. If you have suggestions, corrections, or cooking tips based on your experience with this recipe, please share them below.