For a lighter bite in the warm weather, try making Kent Cookery School’s spicy fishcakes
Tod Man Pla (spicy fish cake)
Ingredients and preparation
- 200g of salmon fillet – mashed
- 1 tbsp red curry paste
- 50g green beans – chopped
- 2 kaffir lime leaves – thinly sliced
- 10g Thai sweet basil
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 1 medium egg
- 300g sunflower oil
Method
- Mix all the ingredients and blend them well, until they become very sticky.
- Shape the mixture into a circle about a centimetre thick.
- Heat the oil until it is very hot.
- Put the fish cakes in the hot oil and deep fry them until they turn slightly golden-brown.
- Serve while still hot.
Red Curry Paste (Prik Gang Dang)
Ingredients and preparation
- 10 long dried red chillies – deseed and soak in water for a few hours
- 1 tbsp shallots – slice into small pieces
- 1 tbsp garlic – chopped
- 1 tbsp galangal – chop into small pieces
- 2 tbsp lemongrass – slice into small pieces
- 2 kaffir leaves
- 1 tsp coriander roots – chopped
- 1 tbsp roasted coriander seeds
- 1 tsp roasted cumin seeds
- 1 tsp shrimp paste
- A pinch of salt
Method
- Put all the ingredients apart from the shrimp paste into a mortar and pestle.
- Pound the ingredients until fine and then add the shrimp paste and mix well.
Tips:
You can also use a blender for a quicker result but the curry paste will not be as fine as if you have pounded it with a mortar and pestle. Add about 3 tbsp of water in the blender to help the ingredients combine better.
