Thai Fish Cakes with Cucumber Salad

Name: Thai Fish Cakes with Cucumber Salad
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 250 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 500 g Fish fillets (whiting, pollock, or coley); ½ whole Red bell pepper, chopped; 2 whole Red chillies, chopped; 2 tbsp Fresh coriander leaves, chopped; 3 whole Spring onions, finely chopped; 2 clove Garlic cloves, chopped; 1 stalk Lemongrass, tender inner part only, chopped; 1 tbsp Fish sauce; 125 ml Coconut milk; 1 whole Large egg; 125 g Green beans, trimmed; Vegetable oil for frying; 2 whole English cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthwise and deseeded; 35 g Caster sugar; 50 ml Rice vinegar; 2 whole Hot red chillies, finely diced; 2 whole Shallots, finely diced; 2 tbsp Fresh coriander leaves, chopped; 40 g Roasted peanuts, chopped; ½ tbsp Fish sauce

Recipe GLPRbaaa23ca0b2166

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Thai

Appetizer

250 min

1039 cal

Servings: 4

SNAP eligible

Crispy Thai-style fish cakes made from fresh fish blended with aromatic herbs, garlic, lemongrass, and green beans, served alongside a refreshing sweet and spicy cucumber salad dressed with roasted peanuts and fish sauce.

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Ingredients

500 g Fish fillets (whiting, pollock, or coley)

½ whole Red bell pepper, chopped

2 whole Red chillies, chopped

2 tbsp Fresh coriander leaves, chopped

3 whole Spring onions, finely chopped

2 clove Garlic cloves, chopped

1 stalk Lemongrass, tender inner part only, chopped

1 tbsp Fish sauce

125 ml Coconut milk

1 whole Large egg

125 g Green beans, trimmed

Vegetable oil for frying

2 whole English cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthwise and deseeded

35 g Caster sugar

50 ml Rice vinegar

2 whole Hot red chillies, finely diced

2 whole Shallots, finely diced

2 tbsp Fresh coriander leaves, chopped

40 g Roasted peanuts, chopped

½ tbsp Fish sauce

Directions

Trim any bones or skin from the fish fillets and cut into small bite-sized pieces. Combine the red bell pepper, red chillies, fresh coriander, spring onions, garlic, lemongrass, and 1 tablespoon fish sauce in a food processor. Blend until a smooth paste forms.
Add the fish pieces to the paste and pulse until well combined. Add the coconut milk and egg, then blend until the mixture is smooth and well incorporated with no lumps of fish remaining.
Transfer the fish mixture to a bowl. Trim the green beans and slice them finely into thin rounds about 3mm thick. Fold the sliced beans into the fish paste until evenly distributed. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight, until the mixture is firm and chilled.
Heat vegetable oil to a depth of about 3 inches in a heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium-high heat until a small piece of the mixture sizzles immediately when dropped in (approximately 350°F/175°C). Working in batches, use two spoons to shape the chilled mixture into small oval or round patties about 2 inches long. Carefully lower each patty into the hot oil—they should be partially submerged. Fry for 2–3 minutes until the bottom is golden and crispy, then gently turn with a slotted spoon and fry the other side for another 2–3 minutes until golden brown. Transfer the cooked fish cakes to a paper-lined plate to drain. Repeat with the remaining mixture.
For the cucumber salad, cut the prepared cucumber halves into thin 5mm slices and place in a large mixing bowl.
In a small bowl, stir the caster sugar into the rice vinegar until the sugar dissolves completely. Pour the dressing over the cucumber slices and toss gently to coat. Fold in the diced hot chillies, diced shallots, and chopped fresh coriander until evenly mixed.
Just before serving, sprinkle the chopped roasted peanuts over the cucumber salad and drizzle with the remaining 0.5 tablespoon fish sauce. Serve the crispy fish cakes alongside the salad.

Comments

Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff3.75

This recipe demands a special trip for lemongrass and fish sauce, neither of which are standard at most Charlotte chains—check Kroger's international aisle first, but budget a visit to an Asian market like H Mart or Mitsu Market. The stated 250 minutes is misleading; that appears to include passive chilling time, but the actual hands-on work (making the paste, shaping, pan-frying, assembling salad) runs closer to 60 minutes, which is honest for a weeknight if you front-load the shopping. At roughly $12–14 for four servings, the cost hinges on fish price (white fish runs $8–12 per pound at Harris Teeter or Kroger) and the Asian condiments; once you have fish sauce and lemongrass on hand, the dish becomes cheaper to repeat. The fish cakes don't reheat well—they're best eaten fresh and crisp same-night—which limits leftovers appeal.