Prep Time: 40 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• Serves 4 as an Appetizer
• 2 fillets of salmon, cod, sole, or other fish (1/2 lb. to 3/4 lb. or 300 g.)
• 2 large (or 3 small) potatoes
• about 1 cup oil for frying (peanut, sunflower, coconut, canola, or other vegetable oil)
• approximately 1 cup flour OR 1 1/2 cups bread or cracker crumbs (bread or cracker crumbs make a crispier crust)
• 1 egg, beaten
• Thai Sweet Chilli Sauce for the dip (or make your own dipping sauce – see below)*
• PASTE:
• 2 Tbsp. fish sauce
• 1 red or green chili, sliced (de-seeded if you prefer mild cakes)
• 3 kaffir lime leaves (dried, fresh, or frozen), snipped into small pieces with scissors (discard stem)
• 3 spring onions, sliced
• 1/3 cup coriander leaves and stems, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced

Preparation:

1. Place potatoes in a pot of water over high heat. Allow to boil while you perform the next several steps.
2. Place paste ingredients in a mini-chopper or food processor. Process well to create a paste. OR simply mince and stir everything together.
3. If using frozen fish, thaw it thoroughly (to thaw fish quickly, place in a bowl of tepid water for a few minutes). Cut the raw fish into small pieces and place in a mixing bowl. Remove any bones you might find.
4. When potatoes are cooked and soft enough to mash, drain them and place in a flat-bottomed bowl (or back in the pot). Quickly mash with a potato masher.
5. Add the mashed potatoes plus the paste you made earlier to the fish pieces. Mix well (don’t worry if the fish falls apart).
6. Now, using your hands, make small patties or cakes. Tip: if cakes won’t stay together because they are too “wet”, add a little flour or bread/cracker crumbs to the fish/potato mixture.

Make Ahead Tip: If making ahead of time, cover cakes and refrigerate (overnight or up to 48 hours beforehand). When guests arrive, remove from fridge and continue with the steps below.