Tasty Thai Fishcakes with Sweet Cucumber and Chilli Sauce

Having done my dash with ham and turkey over the last week of Christmas festivities, I thought I’d spice things up for New Year’s Eve with some tasty Thai fishcakes. We were heading to friends to watch the spectacular Sydney fireworks and I wanted to take some treats that can withstand being served at room temperature.

This recipe makes about 20 bite-sized Fishcakes or you can make larger cakes and serve them as an entree to a main meal.

These fishcakes are so easy to make and are delicious with homemade sweet cucumber and chilli dipping sauce. Making the sauce is worth it as it so much zinger and fresher than bottled sweet chilli sauce and takes no time at all.

Fishcakes

Prep time including chilling mixture: 45 minutes. Cooking time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
500g firm boneless white or red fish fillets
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon store bought Thai red or green chilli paste
2 red chillies deseeded and diced finely
3 fresh kaffir lime leaves or Thai basil leaves very finely sliced
5-6 green beans very thinly sliced into rounds
Handful of coriander leaves finely chopped
1 stalk of lemongrass – chopped into quarters
1 tspoon sugar
1/2 tspoon salt

1 cup vegetable oil for frying

Method

Place fish fillets in microwave proof dish and just cover with water, add fish sauce and throw in the lemon grass stalks and a few kaffir lime or Thai basil leaves.

Microwave on high for 2-3 minutes, then drain well, remove herbs and flake fish.

Add flaked fish to bowl of food processor with curry paste, chillies and blend into a paste.

Put fish mixture into a bowl and add sugar, salt, chillies, chopped lime leaves, green beans, coriander and mix well.

Add 2-3 tablespoons of the beaten egg and mix into fish until mixture binds together but is not too wet.

Place mixture in the fridge to dry out for half an hour or so.

Form mixture into small balls and press down to create little cakes. I find squeezing the excess moisture out of the mixture as you make the balls helps to bind the cakes together.

Heat oil on high until very hot and fry the cakes until golden brown. Do not turn the cakes over until the bottom side is well fried as this will help the cakes stay together.

Serve with Sweet cucumber and chilli dipping sauce

Sweet cucumber and chilli dipping sauce

Prep time: 5 minutes Cooking time: 1 minute
Ingredients:
1/4 cup of water
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cucumber finely diced
1 red chilli finely diced

Method:

Put sugar and water into pot and bring to a simmer for 1 minute, mixing until sugar dissolves.

Add cucumber and chilli to syrup and allow to steep while you fry Fishcakes.