Thai fishcakes served with Thai cucumber salad

Ingredients

For the fish cakes
500g/1lb 2oz fish fillets
½ red pepper, chopped
2 red chillies, chopped
2 tbsp coriander
3 spring onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 stalk lemongrass, tender part only, chopped
1 tbsp fish sauce
125ml/4fl oz coconut milk
1 whole egg
125g/4½oz green beans
vegetable oil
For the Thai cucumber salad
2 cucumbers peeled, halved lengthways and de-seeded
35g/1¼oz caster sugar
50ml/2fl oz rice vinegar
2 hot chillies, finely diced
2 shallots, finely diced
2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
40g/1½oz roasted peanuts, chopped
½ tbsp nam pla (fish sauce)

Method

1. Cut the fish into small pieces. Place the 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. Mix to a smooth paste adding coconut milk and egg.
3. Place the mixture in a bowl. Slice the beans finely into 3mm (1/8in) and stir into fish paste. Chill in refrigerator overnight or for at least two hours.
4. Heat oil in a frying pan. Shape chilled paste into small patties with the help of a spoon. Fry in oil until crisp and brown, turning once. Drain on kitchen paper.
5. For the salad, cut the cucumber in to 5mm (¼in) slices
6. Dissolve the sugar in the vinegar and toss the cucumber slices in it. Fold in the chilli, shallot and coriander.
7. Sprinkle with the peanuts and fish sauce just before serving.