Vietnamese Fishcake (Chả Cá)

Vietnamese Fishcake (Chả Cá) © kvalifood.com

Chả cá are Vietnamese fishcakes made from ground fresh fish mixed with dill and spring onion. They are pan-fried or grilled until golden and served as a snack, side dish, or part of a larger spread.

Ingredients

  • 500 g fresh white fish (snapper, tilapia, basa, cod, or similar)
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 tbsp shallot, minced
  • 1 handful spring onions, roughly chopped
  • 1 handful dill, roughly chopped
  • neutral oil, for frying

Directions

Make and shape

  1. Fillet and rinse the fish. Cut into chunks and place in a food processor.
  2. Add the dill, spring onion, shallot, fish sauce, oyster sauce, and pepper. Pulse until the mixture is smooth but still has some texture - do not over-process to a paste.
  3. Wet your hands and shape the mixture into small patties, about 1 cm thick, pressing them flat against the chopping board.

Fry

  1. Heat oil in a pan over high heat. Fry the fishcakes in batches, turning once, until both sides are golden and the fish is cooked through.
  2. Drain on paper towels and serve.

Notes

  • The cakes can also be grilled over charcoal for a smokier result.
  • Dill is the defining herb here - use it generously.
  • These keep well in the fridge for a day and reheat well in a hot pan.