Thai fish cakes are often serves as a starter or appetizer in Thai restaurants. I love them so much I prefer to make a whole meal out of them. Any white fish fillets are good here, although my all-time favourite is flathead.
- 450 g / 1bl fish fillets (1lb)
- 1-2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
- 2 makurt lime leaves finely sliced with scissors, or zest of 1 lime
- 2 lime 1 juiced + lime wedges
- 1 bunch coriander (cilantro) leaves picked
- 1 bunch mint leaves picked
- Preheat your oven to 100C (200F). Finely chop the fish and stir in the curry paste and lime leaves / zest.
- Using a tablespoon, form into balls about the size of a golf ball. Pat down to form more of a burger shape so the fish cakes cook more quickly.
- Heat a thin layer of oil in a large frying pan over a medium high heat.
- Fry half of the fish cakes for about 2 minutes on the first side or until you can see the fish around the sides starting to look ‘cooked’.
- Carefully turn and cook for another minute, or until the fishcakes are just cooked through. Keep the cooked ones warm in a low oven (100C / 200F) and repeat with remaining fish cakes.
- Toss herb leaves with lime juice to make the salad.
- Serve warm fish cakes with lime wedges. And salad on the side.
Variations
no thai curry paste – make your own or just substitute 1-2 finely chopped hot fresh red chilli peppers (like serrano or Thai birds eye). Or substitute a splash of your favourite hot sauce like tabasco or sriracha.
budget – replace half the fish with soft bread crumbs or a drained mashed can of cannellini beans or chickpeas.
vegetarian – make ‘Thai’ zucchini burgers by adding 1-2 tablespoons curry paste to this recipe and serving with lime wedges instead of the yoghurt.
vegan – you could try replacing the fish with drained mashed cannellini beans or butter beans but they may fall apart.
chicken cakes – replace the fish with ground or minced chicken.
more substantial (carb lovers) – serve with steamed rice or noodles.
more substantial (low carb) – serve with cauliflower rice. Or spirazlied zucchini noodles. Or roast nuts like cashews, peanuts, macadamias or almonds and some mayo.
Waste Avoidance Strategy
fish fillets – freeze the fillets alone or you could make the fish cakes and freeze the mixture ready to defrost and cook.
red curry paste – pantry.
kaffir lime leaves – I keep mine in a ziplock bag in the freezer.
lime – will keep in a plastic bag in the fridge for months.
Leftover Potential?
OK. Will keep in the fridge for a few days. Can be lovely cold. Be careful when reheating as it’s easy to over cook the fish.
Problem Solving Guide
burning – reduce the heat or cook for less time.
sticking to the pan – use more oil and try a slightly higher heat. Make sure the oil is hot before adding the fish cakes.
fish cakes falling apart – 3 things to watch out for:
1. Make sure you chop the fish finely so that it will bind together. Larger chunks will have difficulty.
2. Be firm when forming the fishcakes – we’re relying on the pressure to keep them together.
3. Don’t turn too early. We need the protein to cook and set to help bind the fishcakes togther. Turning before this happens will allow them to crumble.
bland – season fish cakes or serve with a sauce like a sweet chilli sauce. Next time try more curry paste or a different brand.
Serving Suggestions
Serve as a starter either with the lime or with some sweet chilli sauce for dipping. Also good with lime mayo (just stir lime zest and a little lime juice into your favourite mayonnaise).
Prepare Ahead
Cook as per the recipe but keep the herbs and lime juice separately. Will keep in the fridge for 1 week or can be frozen. To serve, warm in a frying pan with a little oil then toss salad with lime juice dressing.