Sweet Chilli Salmon Fishcakes
Cook Time: ~15 Minutes
These succulent, tangy, and all-round heavenly salmon fishcakes are something I enjoy making in the kitchen because the preparation is fun, quick & simple, there are no more than eight ingredients, and the Thai-inspired flavours do all of the heavy lifting on the palate. The dish is on the lighter side, so I would recommend serving it as a starter, a light lunch, or a main course with sides.
Serves: 2
Time: ~15 Minutes
Information - What you require
Ingredients
• Salmon fillet (~600g)
• Coriander (~25g)
• Chilli (as per your spice tolerance)
• Two cloves of garlic
• One finger of ginger
• One stalk of lemongrass
• One lime
• Sweet chilli sauce
• Coconut oil
• Ground black pepper & salt
Optional Ingredients & Notes
• Coconut Oil: In sticking with the Thai theme, coconut oil is the best choice here, but you may substitute it with another oil if you wish.
Equipment
• Medium frying pan
• Medium-sized bowl
Mise En Place - Food preparation
The objective here is to have everything cut finely as most of the ingredients will be used to create patties. Slice your garlic, ginger, and chilli as finely as you can. Remove the outer shell of the lemongrass until you find a soft stringy-like flesh in the middle. Remove that flesh, and slice finely. Take about 3/4 of your coriander and chop finely. Remove the skin from your salmon, and dice into a small form factor.
Cooking Process
Grab a mixing bowl and place your diced salmon, chilli, ginger, garlic, lemongrass, and chopped coriander inside. You can lightly season with ground black pepper and salt at this point. Using your hands, ensure the ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Don’t be afraid to really squeeze the salmon inside your palms and between your fingers. The objective here is to form fishcakes that hold together well in the pan, so my secret tip is to take the time to ensure the consistency of the salmon is just right.
Once you are content with that, begin to form small patties with your mixture, making them all approximately equal in size. Another piece of advice here is not to rush the patty. Take your time forming them, really squeeze them together, throw them against your palm a few times when forming, and create an evenly flat surface. Try to avoid patties that are taller in the middle and thinner on the sides as they won’t cook evenly and may break apart.
Once your fishcakes are formed, turn the pan onto medium heat, and add coconut oil. Once hot, add your fishcakes and cook for 2 minutes on each side. You should see a light golden crust when turning them over. About 30 seconds before the cooking is complete, apply a generous layer of sweet chilli sauce to the top of each of your fishcakes. The fishcakes at this point should be just cooked, moist, and succulent. The worst thing is to have a dry fishcake.
To serve, sprinkle the remaining coriander onto the plate, rest your fishcakes on top of it, and provide slices of lime.
If you do attempt this dish, please let me know how it goes, and if you variate the recipe in any way. Also, this newsletter relies upon word of mouth, so if you feel you know someone who would enjoy this publication please share it.
Thanks for reading,
Conor