It would be an entire post of it's own for all the recipes I tested and subsequently threw out. I tried four different recipes with various kinds of fish and finally settled on the first one I had made. Safe to say that my wife was pretty sick of fish by the time the event came around.
My reason for choosing this recipe was because it was tasty and uses basa fish which is quite reasonably priced (though not as well priced as tinned tuna). So I chose Curtis Stone's basa fish cake but instead of his side salad, I created a salsa and aioli to go along with it which was inspired by Radius, a restaurant in Hamilton.
Before we announce the results, let's get the recipes! Let's start with the salsa and aioli which you can (and should!) make a day before the fish cakes themselves.
Lemon Aioli from Canadian LivingPrintable recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup light mayonnaise
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp salt (I added a dash of pepper)
- 1 dash hot pepper sauce, I used Sriracha hot sauce
Pear Salsa
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup pears, diced
- 1/4 cup diced pickled red onions
- 1 fresh or canned jalapeno pepper, minced
- 1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp. minced/grated ginger
- A sprinkle of finely chopped cilantro (or mint is probably nice too)
- Salt to taste
Combine all ingredients in a bowl, cover and refrigerate.
Spicy Basa Fish Cakes by Curtis Stone (with video)
Ingredients
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| I made a small adjustment to the original recipe |
- 500 grams Basa Fillets
- Zest Of 1 Lemon
- 2 tsp Olive Oil
- 1/2 Small Red Onion, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp Fresh Ciilantro, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp Mayonnaise
- 1 Egg, lightly beaten
- 2 tsp Lemon Juice
- 1/2 tsp Paprika
- 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
- 1/2 cup Dried Breadcrumbs (half for rolling)
- Vegetable Oil, for frying
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350F or 180C.
Place basa fillets on a baking tray
lined with baking paper. Sprinkle with half the lemon zest and season
with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and cook in oven for 10-12
mins, until opaque and just cooked through, depending on the thickness
of the fillet. Remove from oven and cool.
In a large bowl, combine red onion,
coriander, mayonnaise, egg, remaining lemon zest, lemon juice, paprika
and cayenne pepper. Mix until well combined. Break basa fillets into
large flakes and add to bowl. Add half the breadcrumbs and season with salt and
pepper. Mix gently until well combined.
Roll mixture into 8 balls, press into
1 1/2 cm-thick patties, roll the patties in the remaining breadcrumbs and place on a tray lined with baking paper.
Cover and chill for at least 1 hr.
Heat enough oil to come up to 3mm in a
large, heavy-based frying pan over high heat. Working in 2 batches, fry
fish cakes for 4 mins on each side, or until browned. Drain on paper
towels and keep covered with foil while cooking the second batch.
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| Test cakes at home |
The Results!
So how did it all turn out? Before we reveal, let me tell you that my co-judge from the first two years, Wayne was competing as well and that there is a vote for the "Peoples' Choice" where everyone gets to vote for their favourite. At the end of it all, Wayne's fish cake was first place and mine was second! We ended up in a tie for the Peoples' Choice (if only I had voted for myself...!)
The competition, although nerve wracking leading up to it, was a ton of fun and all the fish cakes (six in total) were delicious! Next year I plan on doing something a little crazier and out of the box just for fun. Thank you Uncle Don and Aunt Cathey for hosting such a wonderful event!
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| The final product. I sort of liked the salsa scattered about but maybe I shouldn't have done it. I probably would've liked a clean plate better. |
The competition, although nerve wracking leading up to it, was a ton of fun and all the fish cakes (six in total) were delicious! Next year I plan on doing something a little crazier and out of the box just for fun. Thank you Uncle Don and Aunt Cathey for hosting such a wonderful event!