Mark Doe of ‘Just Cooking’ cookery school in Firies has a recipe for fantastic fish cakes…

Thai food is one of my favourite foods to cook.  It is so unique in taste as you often have salty, sweet, spicy and citrusy in one dish.

Thai fish cakes are simple and a fantastic example of Thai food. These little fish cakes make a great starter, main course or pre dinner nibble.

Serve with sweet chilli sauce to dip the fish cakes.

Thai Fish cakes with cucumber salad

Serves 4 as a starter

For the fish cakes

• 400g white fish fillets

• 2 red chillies, chopped

• 2 tbsp coriander

• 3 sliced scallions finely chopped

• 1 red pepper, chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, chopped

• 1 stalk lemon grass, tender part only, chopped

• 1 tbsp fish sauce

• Pinch salt

• Sunflower oil to deep fry

For the Thai cucumber salad 

• 1 cucumber peeled, halved lengthways and de-seeded

• 35g caster sugar

• 50ml rice wine vinegar (or white wine vinegar)

• 1 or 2 red chillies, finely diced

• 2 shallots finely diced (or ¼ of a red onion)

• 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

• 40g peanuts chopped

• ½ tbsp fish sauce

For the fish cakes

1. Cut the fish into small pieces. Place the red pepper, chillies, coriander, spring onions, garlic, lemongrass and fish sauce into a food processor and blend to a paste.

2. Add the fish pieces to the paste and blend well.

3. Chill for at least ½ an hour

4. Shape the chilled paste into small patties. Deep fry in hot sunlower until crisp and brown. Drain on kitchen paper.

For the salad

1.  Cut the cucumber in to ¼ inch slices

2.  Over a low heat dissolve the sugar in the vinegar, allow to cool and toss the cucumber slices in it. Mix in  the chilli, shallot, fish sauce and coriander.

3. Sprinkle with the peanuts just before serving.