THAI FISHCAKES

Daniel Nowland

Unlike the comfort food cravings during the dark winter months, I find myself craving colourful, fresh, and healthier options during the summer. There is probably also an element of wanting to eat a little better when there’s a chance you’ll be on the beach in your swim shorts?

When thinking of fresh and colourful, I am sure lots of us think of salads and also fish. I love this combination in Asian food, whether it’s Malaysian fish curry, Japanese style soft shell crab, or Thai style fishcakes — if you like seafood and spice you can be spoiled for choice.

point at other guests’ meals you liked the look of. You’d often have to turn a blind eye to the hygiene rating, but instead be reassured by the freshness and high turnover in the kitchen!

I’ve spent a lot of time in Asia for work in the past, and was lucky enough to visit amazing small restaurants in the sticks in Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia. For me, the best meals were often in the small shabby venues with no menus, but instead you’d

We are lucky to have some fabulous Thai restaurants in Southsea including the longestablished Lins Thai Cafe on Elm Grove and the tranquil Fah Thai on Albert Road, among others. Thai is a cuisine that can seem daunting to cook, but can actually be very simple if you’re armed with lots of fresh herbs and chillies!

At my cookery school I’ve been running Thai fishcake workshops for a few years now, and guests are always pleasantly surprised by how easy they are to make. I’ve included the recipe below in case you want to try it at home. I like to serve them with a crunchy salad and some sticky rice, but you can even put them inside a baguette along with some mayo and lettuce for a super tasty lunch!

FOR TWO PEOPLE:

2 fresh salmon fillets

1 egg, whisked

1 tbsp cornflour

½ red chilli

1 garlic clove

½ stick lemongrass

1 tsp fish sauce

Small handful fine green beans (ideally around 6)

Small handful coriander, finely chopped, including the stalks

Remove the skin from your salmon fillets and finely chop them into a small dice size. Putting half the salmon in a mixing bowl, chop/mash the other half down further until it resembles a paste.

Finely chop the chilli, garlic and lemongrass and add to the mixing bowl along with all of the salmon. Finely chop your green beans and add them to the bowl, along with all of the other ingredients, and mix thoroughly for a couple of minutes to combine.

Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat with a glug of oil. Use a tablespoon to transfer the mix to the hot pan as separate spoonfuls, allowing each spoonful to have a little space between them. Press the mix down lightly to create a flat surface. The small fishcakes will need 2-3 minutes on each side. Don’t try to turn them too soon as they could stick. Allow them to develop a golden crust before turning and they’ll be easy to handle.