SPICY TUNA FISHCAKES

SPICY TUNA FISHCAKES
Makes 8 small cakes
400 g good-quality tinned tuna
6 tinned water chestnuts, drained and finely sliced
3 spring onions, trimmed and sliced
3 cm piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and grated
3 tablespoons chopped coriander
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
3 kaffir lime leaves, finely chopped (re-hydrated
for 5 minutes in boiling water if dried)
2 teaspoon Thai fish sauce
2 eggs, beaten
Vegetable oil, for frying
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the Dipping Sauce
Good pinch of caster sugar
2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
Juice of ½ lime
2 tablespoons chopped coriander
First make the dipping sauce. Mix together all the sauce ingredients, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Taste and adjust the flavours as necessary. Set aside.

Drain the tuna and place in a bowl; use a fork to separate the chunks. Add the water chestnuts, spring onions, ginger, coriander, chilli and lime leaves and season with salt and pepper. Add the fish sauce and beaten eggs. Mix well.

Squeezing the mixture to tightly compress it and get rid of any excess liquid, shape it into balls the size of golf balls. Flatten them lightly into patties.

Heat a frying pan over a medium heat, add a little oil and shallow-fry the fishcakes on each side for 1–2 minutes until golden on all sides and heated through. Serve with the dipping sauce.
PHOTO: Michele Davis