Sesame crusted chilli and mint fish cakes with melon salsa

Babiche Martens

Fish cakes

300 g	Fish fillets, eg ling, gurnard, lemonfish, and tarakihi, roughly chopped (Main)
3 tsp	Chilli sauce
1	Spring onion
2 tsp	Fish sauce
½ cup	Fresh mint
2 tsp	Soy sauce
2 tsp	Fresh ginger, chopped
1 tsp	Caster sugar
1	Egg
1 ½ Tbsp	Coconut cream
2 handfuls	Sesame seeds, or as much as needed to coat fish cakes (Main)
1 splash	Peanut oil, for frying

Salsa

1 cup	Rock melon, finely diced (Main)
1 tsp	Salt
3	Limes, zested and juiced
1	Red chilli, (optional)
1 tsp	Caster sugar
1 tsp	Cider vinegar

Directions

1. To make the fish cakes, put the fish in a food processor with the chilli, onion, mint, fish and soy sauces, ginger, sugar, egg and coconut cream.
2. Pulse until the ingredients are thoroughly combined.
3. Use a hot spoon to shape into small cakes. Cover a large plate with sesame seeds and coat each cake.
4. Heat a frying pan and add enough peanut oil to just cover the surface. Cook the fish cakes over a medium heat until the seeds are golden on both sides, being careful not to let them burn. Drain on paper towels before serving with the salsa.
5. To make the salsa, combine all the ingredients (melon, limes, salt, chilli, sugar and vinegar) and let sit for at least 30 minutes for the flavour to develop.