As I sometimes do, I go to buy fish on the jetty at Mersea harbour, direct from the boats. On this occasion, I could have bought skate, plaice, dover sole, sea bass or several other fishy delights. In fact, I bought none of these. I did however buy red gurnard, an ugly fish whose flesh stays firm and is therefore much prized in the making of that classic French fish soup, bouillabaisse.
Not on this occasion, though. Thai fishcakes are a refreshing staple starter at Thai restaurants up and down the land, but, unlike red and green curries, not a dish we commonly cook at home. There’s no reason not to, since they are relatively straightforward and utterly delicious.
Ingredients
- 1-2 white fish, depending on size (I used the fillets of two red gurnard), skinned and filleted
- 200g potatoes, cooked, mashed and cooled
- 1 large red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
- Small handful fresh coriander, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 4cm piece fresh root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 stalk lemongrass, bruised, root trimmed off, tough outer leaves discarded and the tender insides finely chopped
- Fish sauce (available from oriental supermarkets)
- 1 lime, zested and juiced
- Sweet chilli sauce and fresh lime wedges for serving
Method
- Place the fish in a roasting tray and season with sea salt and drizzle with olive oil. Roast for 7-8 minutes, then remove from the oven and cool.
- Place the finely chopped ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add the mashed potato and a dash of fish sauce.
- Break up the cooled fish and add it to the bowl. Mix the ingredients together well.
- Form the fish mixture into small cakes about 6cm-8cm/2.5in-3in wide.
- Dredge the fishcakes in the flour to coat, shaking off the excess.
- Heat oil in a non-stick frying pan. Fry the fishcakes in the hot oil for 3-4 minutes on each side until lightly browned.
- Serve the fishcakes with a squeeze of fresh lime and some sweet chilli sauce for dipping.