Very yummy, a bit of work but worth it

[b]*** THAI FISH CAKES WITH CUCUMBER RELISH ***[/b]
Great served cold!

300g of some sturdy fish: snapper or flathead etc
8 kaffir lime leaves
2tbsp red curry paste
1 egg
2tbsp thai fish sauce
1tsp sugar
2tbsp tapioca or cornflour
1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)
60g finely sliced french or snake beans

For the cucumber relish (make this first to chill)
4 tbsp rice wine vinegar (or other white vinegar if you don't want to be authentic, slob!)
4 tbsp water to dissolve 1/4 cup granulated vinegar: thai is all sweet/sour)
1 head pickled garlick (from Chinese s/mart)
chunk fresh ginger root
1 cucumber cut into thin batons (sticks, moron!)
4 shallots (the little onion-y things. not scallions which you call spring onions)

Mix mix the vinegar water and sugar in a small pan on medium heat, stir until sugar dissolved then put aside to cool.

Get the head of garlick, separate the cloves and slice them finely. Add sliced shallots and cucumber batons, then add the vinegar-water-sugar thingy.

Put all that in the fridge.

Thinly slice (gotta be thin or these leaves will slice your oesophagus wide open!) 3 kaffir lime leaves
Put chunks of the fish, curry paste and egg into blender then blend to a smooth paste
Put in a bowl and mix in fish sauce, tapioca flour, sliced kaffir lime leaves and beans.
Mix well and shape mix into balls about 20–30mm diameter. Flatten slightly, just until they look more like cakes than balls.

Deep fry in batches in 190C oil. Takes about 4-5 minutes if you have oil temp right! Nice and brown. Drain on paper towels and keep hot.

Serve with the relish and decorate with the other 5 kaffir lime leaves.

Can’t get kaffir lime leaves? Add a squeeze of lime juice and the zest of a reasonable size lime

8 cakes is enough for dinner.

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Since I started making that recipe, snapper and flathead have become pretty dear. I now buy about 600g ocean leatherjackets and fillet them, gives about 350g fish. Pointless making the fish cakes with expensive fish. Deep sea bream is also fine.

I have given up on the kaffir lime leaves, Tahitian lime leaves have about the same flavor I am told but I just use a squeeze of lime juice and the zest of a lime. The pickled garlic does make a difference and there are enough chinese/vietnamese shops around the place these days you should be able to buy it in a shop or online.

You make these fish cakes and they will be better than what you get in a Thai restaurant!