Thai Fish Cakes

Method

1. 1

   Make the paste

   Keep the fish cold and process it with the curry paste, egg white, fish sauce and sugar for 1 to 2 minutes, scraping once, until smooth, very sticky and springy; process in batches if needed.

2. 2

   Mix

   Transfer the fish paste to a bowl and fold in the lime leaves, green beans and 2 tbsp rice flour until evenly combined, keeping the mixture cold.

3. 3

   Taste and adjust

   Cook a teaspoon of mixture in a lightly oiled pan over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until opaque and cooked through; taste and season the cold mixture to taste if needed.

4. 4

   Chill

   Cover and refrigerate the mixture at 4°C or colder for at least 20 minutes, until firm enough to shape.

5. 5

   Shape

   With damp hands, shape the chilled mixture into 12 patties about 1.5 cm thick, dust lightly with the remaining rice flour and refrigerate while heating the oil.

6. 6

   Heat the oil

   Add enough oil for a 2 to 3 mm layer across a large frying pan; heat over medium for 2 to 3 minutes until shimmering.

7. 7

   Fry the first side

   Fry 4 patties over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, until the underside is crisp and well browned and the edges are firm; lower the heat if browning too quickly.

8. 8

   Turn the cakes

   Turn the patties carefully and fry the second side over medium-low heat for 3 to 4 minutes, until crisp and well browned; lower the heat if they colour too fast.

9. 9

   Check doneness

   Check the centre of a cake reaches 63°C (145°F); if it has not, finish the batch in a 160°C oven for 5 to 8 minutes, until cooked through.

10. 10

    Rest and repeat

    Rest the cooked fish cakes for 3 minutes, then repeat the frying and temperature check with the remaining patties, adding oil as needed.

11. 11

    Serve

    Serve the warm fish cakes with sweet chilli sauce, lime wedges, coriander and sliced chilli.

Tips

• Keep the fish and mixture cold while preparing and shaping.
• Use damp hands and leave space between patties so they brown rather than steam.
• Lower the heat or finish the cakes in a low oven if the crust browns before the centres reach temperature.

Swaps

• Use cod or pollock, or another firm white fish.
• If makrut lime leaves are unavailable, use finely grated lime zest in the mixture.
• Use chopped coriander stems in place of some coriander leaves for serving.

Storing

Refrigerate leftover fish cakes in a covered container for up to 2 days. Reheat in a frying pan over medium-low heat until hot throughout.