Fish cakes are a great way to use off-cuts or less expensive fish such as Ribaldo, a deep-sea fish caught as bycatch off the southern Australian coast. The fish flavour isn’t really noticeable, so they’re also a great way for people who don’t particularly like fish to increase their seafood consumption.
INGREDIENTS:
450g kumara (see notes)
600g Ribaldo fillets, skin off, bones removed
⅔ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 green onions, thinly sliced
Few drops Tabasco sauce
3 cups fresh breadcrumbs (see notes)
Salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
½ cup plain flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 cups baby rocket
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Dill Sauce
1 cup thick natural yoghurt
½ cup whole-egg mayonnaise (see notes)
¼ cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped dill
Salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
METHOD:
Peel and dice kumara and steam until tender. Mash until smooth.
Cut fish into large chunks, pulse in a food processor, in 2 batches if necessary, until coarsely chopped. Combine well with kumara, parsley, green onion, Tabasco, 1 cup of the breadcrumbs, salt and pepper.
Wet hands and divide mixture into 12 patties. Flatten slightly and lightly dust with flour, dip in beaten egg and then in remaining breadcrumbs. Place on a plate, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile make Dill Sauce: whisk all ingredients together.
Heat a frying pan over medium heat, add ¾ of the oil and, when hot, add fishcakes and cook each side for about 3 minutes, until golden and cooked through. Drain on paper towel.
Toss rocket with remaining oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper and mound in the centre of plates, place fish cakes on top and drizzle with Dill Sauce. Pass the remaining sauce separately.
NOTES:
Kumara is orange-coloured sweet potato.
To make fresh breadcrumbs, pulse day-old bread in a food processor until finely crumbed. It’s a great way to use up stale bread and you can keep them in the freezer to use whenever breadcrumbs are required.
If you don’t want to make your own mayonnaise, use one made from whole eggs such as S&W or Thomy.
ALTERNATIVE SPECIES:
Redfish, Silver Warehou, Barramundi, Ling, Jackass Morwong.