Lettuce-Wrapped Fish Cakes with Sweet-Tart Sauce
Fish cakes in Thailand are often augmented with tapioca flour to make them sturdier; I opt for healthy, protein-rich quinoa instead. These make a great appetizer or can be served as a main course with noodles or rice. When preparing your quinoa for this recipe, use a ratio of 1 cup quinoa to 12/3 cups water – this ensures your fish cakes don’t get soggy. Do try the dipping sauce – just a little gives the fish cakes a sweet-tangy bite.
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Ingredients
- 1 1/4 lb sea bass, rockfish or other mild white fish, boned and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/2 cup cooked quinoa (TRY: NOW Foods Living NOW Certified Organic Whole Grain Quinoa)
- 1/3 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
- 1/4 cup finely chopped shallots, divided
- 3 tsp minced lemongrass
- 2 tsp finely minced lime leaf
- 2 tsp finely chopped garlic
- 2 tsp sriracha
- 3 1/2 tsp fish sauce, divided
- 1/4 tsp ground white pepper
- 1/2 cup rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup finely chopped cucumber
- 2 tbsp finely grated carrot
- 2 tbsp date sugar
- Leaves from 1 head red or green leaf lettuce, core removed
- 2 tbsp safflower oil or coconut oil
Preparation
- To a food processor, add fish and pulse until chopped. (NOTE: Your largest piece should be about ¼ inch with some of the fish being very finely chopped and almost pastelike.) Transfer to a large bowl and add egg, quinoa, bell pepper, 3 tbsp shallots, lemongrass, lime leaf, garlic, sriracha, 1½ tsp fish sauce and pepper. Stir thoroughly with a rubber spatula. Form into 8 cakes, each about 3½ to 4 inches in diameter. (Packing the mixture into a measuring cup or ice cream scoop will help to form the cakes.) Chill for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare sauce: Combine remaining 1 tbsp shallots, vinegar, cucumber, carrot, sugar and remaining 2 tsp fish sauce and stir to dissolve the sugar. Arrange lettuce on a serving platter.
- In a large nonstick skillet on medium, heat oil. Working in batches, add fish cakes to pan and cook until golden brown on the outside and opaque white in center, about 3½ minutes per side. Arrange on platter with lettuce. To eat, wrap each cake in a lettuce leaf, drizzle with a little dipping sauce and eat taco-style.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size 1 cake with lettuce and sauce
- Calories 131
- Carbohydrate Content 10 g
- Cholesterol Content 42 mg
- Fat Content 5 g
- Fiber Content 1 g
- Protein Content 11 g
- Saturated Fat Content 1 g
- Sodium Content 250 mg
- Sugar Content 6 g
- Monounsaturated Fat Content 0 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat Content 3 g