KEY POINTS:
Cashew nuts and sprouts make a fresh side-dish to complement the Thai flavours of these tasty fish cakes
Serves 4
300g fish such as gurnard or lemon fish
1 spring onion
1/2 green chilli
2 cm piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 clove garlic
1 Tbs mirin
2 tsp fish sauce
1/4 cup packed basil and coriander leaves comined (Thai basil if available), plus extra coriander for the salad
1 Tbs coconut milk
2 tsp soy sauce
Vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups bean sprouts
3 Tbs roasted and salted cashew nuts, roughly chopped
1/2 tsp sesame oil
2 lemons
Freshly ground black pepper
1. In the bowl of a food processor, add the fish, onion, chilli, ginger, garlic, mirin and fish sauce. Process until a rough paste forms.
2. Add the fresh herbs, coconut milk and soy sauce then pulse until just combined.
3. In a heavy-based fry pan, pour in 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. When hot, drop in spoonfuls of the fish cake mix and cook for 2 minutes over a medium-hot heat or until brown, then turn over and continue. Cook in batches, adding extra oil with each new batch. Drain on paper towels.
4. Combine the sprouts, cashews and sesame oil in a bowl. Add coriander leaves then squeeze over the juice of one lemon, add a grind or two of pepper and combine with fingers.
5. Plate the cakes in a stack with a small pile of salad and a wedge of lemon.
