Thai Fish cake with Thai cucumber salad

Ingredients

For the fish cakes500g/1lb 2oz fish fillets
½ red pepper, chopped
2 red chillies, chopped
2 tbsp coriander
3 spring onions, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 stalk lemongrass, tender part only, chopped
1 tbsp fish sauce
125ml/4fl oz coconut milk
1 whole egg
125g/4½oz green beans
vegetable oil

For the Thai cucumber salad2 cucumbers peeled, halved lengthways and de-seeded
35g/1¼oz caster sugar
50ml/2fl oz rice vinegar
2 hot chillies, finely diced
2 shallots, finely diced
2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
40g/1½oz roasted peanuts, chopped tbsp nam pla (fish sauce)

Instructions

• Cut the fish into small pieces. Place the pepper, chillies, coriander, spring onions, garlic, lemongrass and fish sauce into a food processor and blend to a paste.
• Add the fish pieces to the paste and blend well. Mix to a smooth paste adding coconut milk and egg.
• Place the mixture in a bowl. Slice the beans finely into 3mm (1/8in) and stir into fish paste. Chill in refrigerator overnight or for at least two hours.
• Half-fill a heavy-based frying pan with oil and heat over a medium to high heat. (CAUTION: Hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.) Shape the chilled paste into small patties with the help of a spoon. Carefully lower the fish patties into the hot oil, in batches (the oil should reach halfway up the sides of the patties).
• Fry until crisp and brown, turning once during cooking. Remove from the oil using a slotted spoon and set aside to drain on kitchen paper. Repeat the process with the remaining fish patties.
• For the salad, cut the cucumber in to 5mm (¼in) slices.
• Dissolve the sugar in the vinegar and toss the cucumber slices in it. Fold in the chilli, shallot and coriander.
• Sprinkle with the peanuts and fish sauce just before serving.

Source: Womenzmag