Thai Inspired Potato Fish Cakes

A few weeks ago I made Jamie Oliver's Crab Cakes I'd seen him prepare on a programme about using more sustainable fish.

Yesterday, with not much fish in the house and none being sold fresh on a Monday in my local fishmonger, I improvised with a 350g packed of mixed fish I guess intended for a fish pie, and another 150g of pollock I found in the freezer. To make this an evening rather than a starter, I use more potato that the Jamie Oliver recipe.

400g white fish
4 large potatoes
2 tsp red thai curry paste

Peel, roughly chop, and boil the potatoes in salted water for 10-15 minutes until soft enough to mash. Drain and leave to steam and cool in the colander. When cool enough to handle mash in the pan and tip into a mixing bowl.

Mince the fish and the thai curry paste in a small food processor, and mix thoroughly with the cooled mash potato. Take small handfuls of the potato and fish mash and shape into a burger sized patty. Place on a large plate or baking tray. This mixture should make about 12 fish cakes. Jamie Oliver's recipes recommends they are left in the fridge overnight to cool. I'm sure he's right, but I've found at a push that about 1 hour in the fridge seems just about okay.

Shallow fry in a hot frying pan for about 3 minutes each side. I served the kids' with sweetcorn, and ours with a Dipping Sauce and Thai Inspired Carrot Salad.

Dipping Sauce
Juice of half a lemon
4 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp brown sugar
Large pinch of hot chilli flakes
2in grated cucumber

Thai Inspired Carrot Salad
2 large carrots, grated
1tsp brown sugar
3 tbsp warm water
3 tbsp red or white wine vinegar
pinch of salt

Mix all the liquid ingredients together with the sugar and salt until these have dissolved then add the carrot and mix. Best made before the main meal as it benefits from standing for about 30 minutes.