Summer fish cakes and avocado mango salad

A guaranteed hit for brunch topped with a poached egg, as a starter in the evening, or as a lunch dish. The South-East Asian flavours give this fish cake a large margin head start. The fish cake mixture freezes well before cooking and can be thawed and cooked as and when you need a fish cake hit. The avocado mango salad is also delicious on its own or served with tortilla chips, crudités or in a wrap with smoked chicken. Pineapple can substitute the mango if unavailable.

Ingredients

100 g	Fresh green beans, ends trimmed and finely sliced
300 g	Gurnard, or terakihi, skinned and deboned, roughly chopped (Main)
300 g	Prawn meat (Main)
4 Tbsp	Ice cold water
1 Tbsp	Green curry paste
2 Tbsp	Fish sauce
1 Tbsp	Lime juice
3	Egg whites
¼	Limes, zest finely grated
1 small bunch	Fresh coriander, finely chopped
2	Spring onions, finely sliced (reserving 2 Tbsp for the avocado salad)
1	Red chilli, finely chopped (more or less optional)
1 Tbsp	Lemongrass, very finely chopped
2 Tbsp	Canola oil

Avocado mango salad

3	Ripe avocados (Main)
2 Tbsp	Chopped fresh coriander
1 Tbsp	Extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp	Green jalapeno Tabasco
2 Tbsp	Spring onions, finely diced
½	Mangoes, peeled with pip removed, cut in chunks (Main)
1 Tbsp	Lime juice
4 Tbsp	Cucumbers, diced
¼	Red peppers, flesh diced

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a baking tray.
2. Add beans to a pot of rapidly boiling water for 1–1½ minutes, then drain and refresh to shock cool in an ice-cold water bath. Save 4 tablespoons of the ice cold water (for mixing with the curry paste). Once cool, drain and set aside.
3. Place fish pieces and prawn meat into a food processor and blitz until a smooth paste.
4. In a small bowl, combine the 4 tablespoons of the ice cold water set aside earlier with the curry paste, fish sauce and lime juice. Once liquid has combined with fish paste, add egg whites and blitz for 30 seconds. Transfer to a bowl, then add blanched beans, lime zest, coriander, spring onion, chilli and lemon grass. Mix together well.
5. Divide mixture into 4 balls. Place each ball on a board and flatten gently with the palm of your hand, so each ball is turned into a burger-shaped patty. Heat oil over a medium-high heat until shimmering, then fry fish patties for 1 minute each side, or until golden. Transfer to prepared tray and bake for 5–6 minutes. Note: additional canola oil may be required for the sautéing of the patties.
6. To make the avocado mango salad, cut avocado around the stone lengthways and twist to separate into halves. Remove stone with a spoon or by stabbing with a sharp knife and twisting it out. Spoon avocado flesh into a small bowl and smash with a fork, retaining skins. Add all remaining ingredients and mix together with a fork. Spoon mix back into avocado skins to serve.
7. Divide fish cakes among plates along with Avocado Mango Salad. Serve immediately.