Rick Stein Thai Fish Cakes Recipes

THAI FISH CAKES WITH CUCUMBER DIPPING SAUCE

Steps:

• Simply place the chunks of fish, the coriander leaves, lime juice, spring onions, curry paste, chilli and a little salt in a food processor and blend till you have a finely minced texture - don't blend it to a fine purée, though, as this is not so good. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Next take dessertspoons of the mixture and form them into balls, squeezing the mixture together. Then place them on a flat surface and flatten them out with the palm of your hand into small cake shapes about 1½ inches (4 cm) in diameter. You should get 16 in all. When all the fish cakes are ready, put them on to a plate, cover with clingfilm and leave them in the fridge for a couple of hours to firm up. Meanwhile, make the sauce. Place the cucumber, shallots or salad onions, carrot, chilli, ginger and peanuts in the a food processor and whiz till very finely chopped. Transfer the chopped vegetables to a bowl. Next mix the sugar with the vinegar to dissolve it, then pour it over the vegetables along with the soy sauce and groundnut oil. Mix thoroughly. To cook the fish cakes, heat 2 tablespoons of groundnut oil in a frying pan and, when it's very hot and beginning to shimmer, fry the cakes for about 1 minute on each side, then drain on crumpled kitchen paper. Garnish with sprigs of coriander and serve with the cucumber dipping sauce.

THAI FISH CAKES

Steps:

• For the fish cakes, place the fish, fish sauce, red curry paste, lime leaf, galangal, lemongrass, coriander root, egg, palm sugar, beans, and lime juice in a food processor and blend to a paste. Alternatively this can be done in a pestle and mortar - pound the ingredients to a jelly-like paste.
• Remove and, with damp hands, take a piece about the size of a walnut. Roll it into a ball and then flatten it to a thin disc. Lay on a floured plate. Repeat until all the mixture has been used. Refrigerate until ready to cook.
• For the dip, beat together the vinegar, honey, two tablespoons of water, the lime juice and fish sauce. Taste and adjust the honey and lime juice to get it sweeter or sourer, however you want it. Add the cucumber, carrot, shallot and chilli. Leave for 30 minutes to an hour for the flavours to develop.
• Heat the groundnut oil in a frying pan and cook the fish cakes until golden-brown all over - this should take a couple of minutes on either side.
• Serve on a banana leaf with the sauce in a dish to one side. Garnish with the lamb's lettuce.