Thai Fish Cakes Recipe

Recipe: (Makes about 12)

8 kaffir lime leaves
300 g/11 oz cod fillet, cut into chunks
30 ml/2 tablespoons red curry paste
1 egg
30 ml/2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
5 ml/1 teaspoon granulated sugar
30 ml/2 tablespoons cornstarch (cornflour)
15 ml/1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro (coriander)
50 g/2 oz/0.5 cup green beans, thinly sliced
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying

For the cucumber relish
60 ml/4 tablespoons coconut or rice vinegar
50 g/2 oz/0.25 cup granulated sugar
60 ml/4 tablespoons water
1 head pickled garlic
1 cm/0.5 inch piece fresh root ginger, chopped
1 cucumber, cut into thin batons
4 shallots, thinly sliced

Method:

To make the cucumber relish, mix the coconut or rice vinegar, sugar and water in a pan. Heat gently, stirring constantly until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and leave to cool. Place the garlic and ginger in a bowl. Add the cucumber and shallots. Mix in the vinegar and stir lightly. Cover and set aside.

Reserve 2 or 3 kaffir lime leaves for the garnish and thinly slice the remainder. Put the fish, curry paste and egg in a food processor and process to a smooth paste. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the fish sauce, sugar, cornstarch, sliced kaffir lime leaves, cilantro and green beans. Shape the mixture into thick cakes.

Heat the oil in a deep-frying pan or wok to 190oC/375oF or until a cube of bread, added to the oil, browns in about 45 seconds. Fry the fish cakes, a few at a time, for 4-5 minutes, until cooked and evenly brown.

Lift out the fish cakes and drain them on kitchen paper. Keep each batch hot while frying successive batches. Garnish with the reserved kaffir lime leaves and serve with the cucumber relish.