Saturday 4 June 2011

Thai Fishcakes with Cucumber Dipping Sauce

Thai Fishcakes with Cucumber Dipping Sauce
If you have some Thai Green Curry Paste to spare, these delicious fish cakes make a wonderful first course, especially if the rest of the meal has a spicy theme.

Makes 6-8
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
1 free range egg
300g white fish, skin removed, cut into chunks
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp cornflour
3 kaffir lime leaves, thinly sliced
1 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
10 green beans, finely chopped
Flour, for dusting
Vegetable oil for deep frying

For the Dipping Sauce
60ml/2fl oz water
75ml/2 ½ fl oz rice vinegar
50g/2 oz sugar
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 cucumber, peeled and finely chopped
4 shallots, finely chopped
1 tbsp chopped fresh ginger
Watercress, to serve


Method

1.  For the dipping sauce, put the water, vinegar and sugar into a pan and place over a medium heat, bring to the boil.  Stir until the sugar had dissolved, remove from the heat and allow to cool.

2.  When cool add the garlic, cucumber, shallots and ginger.  Mix together then pour into a serving bowl.

3.  Put the curry paste, egg and fish into a food processor and pulse until smooth.  Place the fish mixture into a bowl and mix in the fish sauce, sugar, cornflour, lime leaves, coriander and green beans. 

4.  Mould the mixture into fish cakes (approx 7.5cm/3in in diameter) with floured hands, you should be able to make 6-8.

5.  Half fill a deep heavy based pan with the oil, test the oil is ready by dropping in a breadcrumb – it is ready when it sizzles and turns brown.  Add the fishcakes in batches and fry for 3-4 minutes until crisp and golden brown.  Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.

6.  To serve, place the watercress on a large serving plate and top with the fishcakes.  Serve the dipping sauce alongside.

Cooks Tips
v  Don’t be put off if the fishcake mixture seems too wet - just make sure you have well floured hands.


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