Recipe: Fish Cutlets

These are a treat from my childhood. For as long as I can remember, my mother would make them at Christmas, and my brother and I would help her. We weren't allowed to roll the paste into balls, because it contained fresh chillies, but it was our job to cover them in beaten egg and then breadcrumbs. And then to sneak one or two while they sat cooling on the kitchen counter. 

I modified the recipe slightly so it uses cornflake crumbs instead of breadcrumbs. Cornflake crumbs are crispy and delicious, and impart a lovely golden colour.

Fish Cutlets
(The recipe was passed down through the family, no idea where it originated)

Ingredients
425g canned mackerel or sardines
4 medium potatoes
1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped
1/2 fresh red chilli, finely chopped
Pepper, salt and lemon juice to taste

1 egg, lightly beaten
Cornflake crumbs

Boil the potatoes, then peel and mash them. Drain the canned fish and remove the bones; flake with a fork. In a large bowl, mix the potatoes, fish, chopped onion, chopped chilli, pepper, salt and lemon juice. Stir with a large fork until smooth and well-mixed. 

In a large non-stick frying pan, heat up a small amount of oil over medium heat. Fry the fish paste, stirring constantly so that it does not start to turn crisp. When the paste is drier, slightly glossy and no longer gives out steam, turn off the heat. Allow the paste to cool.

Roll the paste into 1-inch balls. Roll the balls in beaten egg, and then in cornflake crumbs, ensuring that they are well-coated. Chill the balls in the refrigerator for at least one hour.

Deep-fry the balls in a deep-fryer or non-stick pan for 1-2 minutes, until golden brown. Consume immediately before anyone else shows up. Makes about 30 cutlets.

Additional Notes

I use canned fish so that even if I don't get all the bones out, they can still be safely eaten. Fresh fish can be used instead.

Frying the paste is an important step, as the cutlets will crack during the deep-frying step if there is too much water in them.

If using a pan to deep-fry, fill it up with oil to at least 1/2 cm and heat it up over medium-high heat. To check if the oil is hot enough, I like to scatter a few sesame seeds into the oil, which should immediately float up if the temperature is correct. 

If the cutlets have not been deep-fried yet, they can be stored in the freezer for a month. If they have been fried, they'll just get soggy and disgusting. Why would you do something so horrible?!

Fish cutlets can be eaten on their own, or with rice and curries.