During a web chat the other day, Rick Stein promised to send me this recipe for Thai Fish Cakes.
Being a gentleman of his word it came through today, so here it is!
THAI FISH CAKES WITH GREEN BEANS
Serves 4
450g (1lb) ling or coley fillets, skinned and cut into chunks
1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce (nam pla)
1 tablespoon Red Curry Paste
1 kaffir lime leaf or 1 strip of lime zest, very finely shredded
1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander (leaves and stalks)
1 egg
1 teaspoon palm sugar or muscavado sugar
½ teaspoon salt
40g (1 ½ oz) French beans, thinly sliced into rounds
150 ml (5 fl oz) groundnut or sunflower oil
FOR THE SWEET AND SOUR CUCUMBER SAUCE
50 ml (2 fl oz) white wine vinegar
100 g (4 oz) caster sugar
1 ½ tablespoon water
2 teaspoons Thai fish sauce (nam pla)
50 g (2 oz) cucumber, very finely diced
25 g (1 oz) carrot, very finely diced
2 red birdseye chillies, thinly sliced
For the sauce, gently heat the vinegar, sugar and water in small pan until the sugar has
dissolved. Bring to the boil and boil for 1 minute, then remove from
the heat and leave to cool. Stir in the fish sauce, cucumber,
carrot, onion and chillies. Pour into 4 small dipping saucers or
ramekins and set aside.
For the fish cakes, put the fish in a food processor with the fish sauce, curry paste, kaffir
lime leaf or lime zest, chopped coriander, egg, sugar and salt.
Process until smooth, then stir in the sliced green beans.
Divide the mixture into 16 pieces. Roll each one into a ball and then flatten into a
6 cm (2 ½ in) disc. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the fish cakes in batches
for 1 minute on each side, until golden brown. Lift out and drain on
kitchen paper, then serve with the sweet and sour cucumber sauce.