In this broadcast I tested making fish paste using Basa fillets bought from the fish counter rather than in frozen bags. Because of the lower liquid content compared to the fillets that had been defrosted from the frozen packs, the paste turned out to be firmer. Interestingly though, the fish balls etc. were the same texture and level of bounciness as the previous version.

If you’ve followed my Basa + chicken mince experiment for making fish paste, you would know the idea was originally suggested by my colleague Jim of the Uncle Jim Malaysian Kitchen chain of eateries based in Sydney, Australia.

BTW in this Live broadcast I decided to “knead” the fish paste after mincing it; I found it made no difference to the final outcome, so I wouldn’t bother with this step.

Fish Balls and Fishcakes Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

• 650g Basa fillets, cut into 3-inch chunks
• 200g chicken mince
• ⅔ Tbsp chicken powder
• ½ tsp sugar
• ½ tsp pepper
• 2 Tbsp tapioca flour

METHOD:

1. Combine basa fillets and chicken mince in food processor bowl. Process on high for a few seconds.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and process further until it’s a smooth consistency.
3. Transfer into a mixing bowl. Mould into balls about 1-inch in diameter. Drop into boiling water or hot oil to cook until done.
4. Remove with slotted ladle and drain.
5. If making fishcakes, mould into rectangular shapes about ½” x 2” x 3” and fry until a light golden brown colour. Allow to cool before cutting into slices.

*If using a Thermocook or Thermomix, blend contents at Step 1 at Speed 8 for 5-10 seconds, and at Step 2 at Speed 8 for 15 seconds.

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