Thai Fishcakes with Fragrant Sweet Chilli Sauce: Keepers

Ingredients

500g hoki (or any firm,
white-fleshed fish)
1 zucchini, grated
3 spring onions, roughly chopped
1 egg
2 Tbsp cornflour
⅓ cup any soy-based or ginger
stir-fry sauce
½ teaspoon sesame oil
zest and juice of 1 lime
30g coriander
20g mint
oil for cooking

Sweet Chilli Sauce
1 long red chilli
5cm piece of lemongrass
½ cup white sugar
½ cup white vinegar
2 kaffir lime leaves (or zest of 1 lime)

Method

For the sweet chilli sauce, deseed then finely dice the chilli, and whack the lemongrass a few times with the back of a knife to release the goodness but leave it whole. Place the chilli and lemongrass in a small saucepan with the sugar, vinegar and lime leaves or zest, and stir to combine. Simmer on a low heat for around 30 minutes. The sauce will be a lot runnier than store-bought varieties but is really delicious and perfect for dipping.

Pop all of the ingredients for the fishcakes into a blender and pulse to combine well.

Heat a frying pan with a good amount of oil. Take heaped tablespoon-sized amounts of fishcake mixture and add to the pan. Cook 5 or 6 (you’ll get 12–14 altogether) at a time, and fry for around 1½ minutes each side until the fish cake has turned white and a little golden on the outside but is still juicy and moist inside.

Serve the fishcakes with the sweet chilli sauce; pile them all on a platter and garnish with extra fresh coriander if taking to share with friends. Serve with an Asian-style slaw if having them as a dinner.

Extracted from Keepers by Cherie Metcalfe. Published by Allen & Unwin NZ.
RRP: $45.00. Out now.