Fish Cakes with Crispy Ginger Ribbons
For the fish cakes:
6 Parsnips, peeled and diced
½ C Olive oil (more or less)
2 Tbs Butter
1-2 Tbs Water
1 Lb Haddock or cod filets, skinless & boneless
½ C Fresh dill or parsley, coarsely chopped
½ C Fresh chives, coarsely chopped
2 Garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 Eggs
Zest of 2 Lemons
1 tsp Salt
Black pepper
2 Tbs Teeny Tiny Spice blend of choice
Suggested blends: Seaside Spice, Penang Curry, Szechuan Spice, Chinese Five Spice, Massaman Curry, Xinjiang Spice
For the crispies:
·5 Tbs Fresh ginger, julienned
3 Garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
2 Red chili peppers, julienned
I bunch Cilantro stems, about 1 inch long
3 Tbs Sliced pecans
1 Tbs Sesame seeds
1 ½ Tbs Sesame oil
½ tsp Salt
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Toss the parsnips in ¼ C olive oil and ½ tsp salt. Lay them in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast in oven until soft, about 30 minutes.
While the parsnips are roasting, heat the sesame oil over medium high heat, then add the julienned ginger, cloves and chilies to the pan. Sauté for 4 minutes.
Add the cilantro stems, pecans and sesame seeds and cook for another 2 minutes or until the mixture is golden brown.
Remove from heat and set aside.
Sauté the fish filet in butter or olive oil until cooked through, about 4 minutes each side. Remove from heat and coarsely mash with a fork.
When the parsnips are done, pulse them in a food processor just a bit to a coarse mash. Add a bit of water if they are too dry and quickly pulse again.
Combine the mashed parsnips, fish, chives, dill, lemon zest, garlic, eggs, spices, ½ tsp salt and a good sprinkling of black pepper in a bowl.
Form into 12 patties about ¾ inch thick.
Heat 1 Tbs butter and 1 Tbs oil in a pan and cook patties in batches until all are done, 8 minutes on one side and 4 minutes on the other. Add extra butter and oil as needed. Patties should be golden brown.
Serve topped with the crispies and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.