Cherry & Dennis Helper Habitat
Thai Fish Cakes
泰式炸魚餅
Recipe overview
Bouncy fish paste with red curry and long beans fries into golden Thai fish cakes cooked through inside.
01
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 500 g boneless white fish fillet
- 80 g long beans
- 1 egg
- 4 makrut lime leaves
Fish marinade
- 2 tbsp Thai red curry paste
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp cornflour
Frying oil
- 700 ml cooking oil
02
Tools
- food processor
- large bowl
- cutting board
- kitchen knife
- deep frying pan
- kitchen tongs
- draining rack
03
Steps
Step 1
Check the fish
Pat fish dry, feel carefully for every bone, remove them and cut into 3 cm pieces.
Step 2
Cut beans and leaves
Slice long beans into 3 mm rounds; remove lime-leaf ribs and shred finely.
Step 3
Process the fish
Blend fish in a food processor into a coarse, sticky paste.
Step 4
Add the marinade
Add all fish marinade and the egg; process until evenly elastic.
Step 5
Fold in vegetables
Transfer to a bowl and fold in long beans and lime leaves.
Step 6
Chill the mixture
Refrigerate 15 minutes until the paste firms.
Step 7
Shape the cakes
Divide into 12 and flatten into 1.5 cm-thick rounds.
Step 8
Heat the frying oil
Heat oil to 170°C in a deep pan, never filling it over halfway.
Step 9
Lower in batches
Gently add fish cakes in 3 batches without overlapping.
Step 10
Fry until golden
Fry each batch 4 to 5 minutes, turning midway until golden.
Step 11
Check doneness
Cut the thickest cake; its centre must be opaque, hot and reach 63°C.
Step 12
Drain and serve
Drain on a rack for 1 minute and serve immediately while crisp.
Common mistakes
- Leaving fine bones in the fish.
- Under-processing the paste so cakes fall apart.
- Using oil that is too cool so cakes absorb it.
- Crowding the pan and dropping the oil temperature.
Tips
Fry one small tester to check seasoning and binding; keep the main oil at 170°C, work in batches and never leave hot oil unattended.
