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Coconut fishcakes with pickled cucumber
Makes about 25 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 4 small red Asian shallots, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 candlenuts, chopped (available online)
- 1cm piece fresh ginger, chopped
- 800g boneless, skinless snapper, John Dory or any other white-fleshed fish fillets, cut into 5cm pieces
- 1 1⁄2tsp caster sugar
- 200g fresh grated or thawed frozen grated coconut
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 150ml coconut milk
- vegetable oil, for deep-frying
For the pickled cucumber
- 60ml clear rice vinegar
- 2tbsp boiling water
- 55g caster sugar
- 2 red bird’s eye chillies, chopped
- 1 cucumber, peeled and halved lengthways
Method
Pickled cucumber is best served on the day it is made. This recipe makes about 350g.
For the pickled cucumber, combine the rice vinegar, boiling water and sugar in a bowl and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Leave to cool. Add the chilli. Remove the seeds from the cucumber using a teaspoon, then thinly slice the cucumber diagonally. Add to the vinegar mixture and stand for 1 hour before serving.
For the fishcakes, combine the shallots, garlic, candlenuts, galangal and ginger in a food processor and blitz until you have a paste; alternatively, use a mortar and pestle. Add the fish and process until smooth.
Transfer to a bowl and add the remaining ingredients, except for the oil. Season to taste.
Heat enough oil for deep-frying in a large wok until it reaches 170C/340F, or until a cube of bread turns golden in 20 seconds. Using your hands, form the fishcake mixture into balls (about 2tbsp for each one). Flatten into thick discs about 5-6 cm across.
Fry the fishcakes, in batches, for about 12 minutes, turning once, or until deep golden and cooked through. Take care when cooking as the cakes are delicate. Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain any excess oil. Serve the fishcakes hot with the pickled cucumber.
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