Norwegian fish balls in white sauce (Fiskeboller i hvit saus)

1. Dice the cod fillet and blitz it with the salt in a food processor for 1 minute to a paste.

2. Add the starch, nutmeg and white pepper, then with the motor running gradually work in the ice-cold milk until you have a smooth, springy mixture.

3. Heat the fish stock in a wide pan to a gentle simmer and drop in balls of the mixture with a wet tablespoon.

4. Poach the balls at a bare simmer for 8-10 minutes until they float and firm up, then lift them out with a slotted spoon; set aside 300 ml of the cooking liquid.

5. Melt the butter, cook the flour and curry powder in it for 1 minute, then whisk in the reserved liquid and the milk until smooth and simmer for 5 minutes.

6. Return the fish balls to the sauce, heat for 2 minutes and serve with boiled potatoes and steamed carrots.

Tip: In Norway fiskeboller are an everyday family meal; many know them from a tin, but fresh ones are incomparably better. The pinch of curry is a popular Norwegian twist on hvit saus, giving the sauce a gentle warmth. Always use ice-cold milk for the mixture and never poach at a rolling boil, or the balls will fall apart.