Asian Fish Cakes
inspired by Diana Henry’s Moroccan Fish Cake recipe in Plenty
yield: 14 medium-sized fish cakes
enough for 2-3 adults
1 1/2 pounds white fish filet: whatever is fresh, inexpensive, and sustainable where you live.
1/2 teaspoon-1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
1 scallion, white tip and bottom sliced off, cleaned, peeled sliced into three pieces
approximately 4 ounces cilantro leaves (about 1/2 bunch in the United States) See note, below
approximately 4 ounces parsley leaves (about 1/2 bunch in the United States)
1 large egg, beaten
zest of one lime, either microplaned or very finely minced (any larger and the processor will not chop it up)
4 grinds of the pepper mill (about 2 teaspoons)
1-2 tablespoons Vietnamese fish sauce (Nam Pla)
1 tablespoon mirin
Flour for forming the cakes
Canola or peanut oil for cooking the cakes; I use Spectrum organics canola oil for high heat
For the dipping sauce:
Vietnamese fish sauce
rice wine vinegar or, if you can spring for it, a bottle of Oshawa Organic Brown Rice Vinegar
fresh lime juice
hot red pepper (optional)
1 stalk of lemongrass, peeled and minced
You will need a food processor or powerful blender for this recipe.
As this recipe calls for high-heat frying, you may want to open kitchen windows and/or run ventilation fan. And, of course, take reasonable care.
It is important to keep the fish cool while preparing this dish. If it’s a hot day, or your kitchen is warm, keep fish refrigerated when not using.
For ease, I stir the lime zest, pepper, nam pla, and mirin into the beaten egg before pouring it into the food processor.
To prepare the fish mixture, put the fish, red pepper flakes, garlic, scallion, cilantro, parsley, egg, lime zest, nam pla, and mirin into the food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse until just blended; you want paste, not a total mush. If you are unsure about how spicy you want the cakes, start with smaller amounts of fish sauce and red pepper flakes.
Tip mixture into a bowl. Fish mixture can be covered and refrigerated up to 4 hours at this point.
To fry the fish cakes:
Have about a quarter cup of flour spread in a flat dish.
Have a tray lined with paper towels.
Place a 10-12 inch sauté pan on the stove. Pour in about an inch of canola or peanut oil. Turn the burner to high.
When the oil is shimmering, flour your hands and make a small test patty. It will cook in about a minute. Turn down the heat under the pan while working with your test patty. Taste and adjust seasoning by adding fish sauce/hot pepper if necessary.
Finish cooking the fish cakes. Crank the heat back up. Flour hands again. Make your cakes: I am lazy and make mine hockey puck size. If you prefer making smaller or larger fish cakes, go ahead. Fish being fish, they cook quickly, perhaps 2 minutes per side. As they cook, move cakes to the paper-lined tray so oil can drain off.
Fish cakes are best served hot, but also good at room temperature and even cold.
Make the dipping sauce by mixing the fish sauce, mirin or brown rice vinegar, lime juice, lemongrass, and optional hot pepper to your taste.
Serve with salad greens, sliced radishes, and more limes. Also good with rice or noodles.
Notes: I used Petrale sole, which is expensive, but it was the freshest when I was shopping. Cheaper fish like tilapia, cod, or rockfish would be fine here.
If you despise cilantro, use all parsley.
I dispose of used cooking oil by pouring it off into a glass canning jar, which I keep in the refrigerator until full, then toss.
As fresh fish is highly perishable, I would not advise keeping leftovers refrigerated more than one day.