Thai Fish Cakes

A Thai-inspired dish today. Homemade fish cakes are already excellent, but this version uses a different set of seasonings and makes a fish dinner rather more interesting.

The recipe contains a few less familiar ingredients, but you should find them in most shops with a good selection of Asian food. They are not only very good, but should take no more than twenty minutes to make.

Ingredients for about 50 fish cakes

• 1 kg saithe, haddock or another white fish suitable for fish cakes
• 1 egg
• 100 ml coconut milk, or cream
• 3 tablespoons red curry paste
• 5 kaffir lime leaves, sliced very finely
• 10 sugar snap peas, sliced finely
• Salt

Process the fish and salt in a food processor until reasonably smooth. A stick blender will also work if you do not have a food processor. Leave the mixture to rest for five minutes so that it binds properly. The salt helps release the fish’s own myosin, which acts as a binder and means that fewer additional ingredients are needed to hold the fish cakes together.

Fold in the remaining ingredients with a spatula, starting with the egg and coconut milk.

Use a spoon dipped in water to shape small balls. I usually make them about the size of a table-tennis ball. Fry them in butter and a little oil until golden and cooked through.

For an even fresher flavour, add the juice of one lime and some finely chopped fresh chilli to taste.

While the fish and salt are resting, you can cook the rice and prepare the salad so that everything is ready together.

I serve these with rice, sweet chilli sauce and a small salad of tomato, lime, lettuce, coriander and a little chilli.

Enjoy,

Tore