Thai Salmon Cakes

These Thai inspired fish cakes make a delicious appetizer for a dinner party or part of a buddha bowl. I made these with salmon, but they are traditional made with white fish. Ive not tried them with white fish as yet, but I think they will be delicious.

I recommend using fresh raw wild salmon for this recipe, canned salmon will not work, if you like a chunkier texture set aside a small portion of the fish before completly blending it into a smooth paste. You’ll will need a dipping sauce, the recipe here complements the salmon really well. Its fresh with a balance of lime, lemongrass and a little chilli works beautifully.

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SALMON CAKES

1 lb salmon,cut into chunks

2 tbsps Thai Red Curry Paste

1 egg

4 spring onions, finely sliced

1-2 kaffir lime leaves, don’t use too many, it will make the cakes a little bitter 

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 inch piece ginger, chopped

2 tbsp fresh cilantro leaves

1 tbsp maple syrup or raw sugar 

1 tsp Fish Sauce or sea salt

1 tbsp fresh lime juice

½ cup green beans, finely chopped for texture, optional

1-2 tbsps avocado or any neutral oil

To serve:

Thai cabbage slaw

Sliced cucumber 

Lime wedges

sesame seeds

Shredded spring onions

1. Place the fish chunks, egg, spring onions, garlic, ginger, curry paste, cilantro, palm sugar, fish sauce and lime juice in a food processor and blend until finely minced, almost a paste like consistency.
2. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the sliced green beans if using.
3. Pour water into a separate small bowl, you will need to moisten your hands to roll the fish paste. Its notoriously sticky otherwise.
4. Dampen your hands and fingers with water and divide the mixture into 16 pieces, each one into a small ball and then flatten into discs.
5. Heat the oil in a large frying pan on medium heat, fry the fish cakes for about 2-3 minute on the first side and 1-2 minutes on the other side. They should be golden brown and cooked through.
6. Lift out and drain on kitchen paper, then serve with a dipping sauces and wedges of cucumber and lime. Garnish with spring onions or sesame seeds.

FOR THE DIPPING SAUCE

• 1 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce or soy sauce
• ¼ cup lime juice
• 2 Tbsps palm sugar, packed, OR maple syrup
• Thai chilies, to taste, minced
• 1 Tbsp small garlic
• 1 Tbsp finely minced lemongrass
• 2 Tbsp minced green onion
• 3 sprigs cilantro, chopped
• 3 mint leaves, chopped

mix or blend all the ingredients for the sauce, taste and adjust the seasoning as needed to balance the flavors. serve with the cakes.

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