Preparation
45 minutes
Cooking
25 minutes
Difficulty
Easy
To make your family meals more diverse and appealing, try making tilapia fish cake that not only has a strong aroma but is also very chewy and delicious, and easy to make. Let’s go to the kitchen to prepare this delicious fried dish!
Ingredients for Tilapia Fish Cake For 4 people
Tilapia 2 kg Pork fat 300 gr Fresh shrimp 300 gr Dill 100 gr Chili 2 pieces Red onion 3 bulbs Fish sauce 2 teaspoons Vinegar a little Cooking oil 3 teaspoons Common spices a little (MSG/ sugar/ seasoning powder/ ground pepper)
Tools needed
How to choose fresh ingredients
How to choose fresh tilapia
- Choose tilapia with clear eyes, not cloudy, with scales that are still shiny and tightly adhered to the body, as these indicate fresh fish.
- Observe the gills; if the tilapia has light pink gills that are still tightly attached, and the fish’s belly is flat rather than swollen, these are good fish.
- Do not buy tilapia if pressing with your finger feels soft and mushy, lacks elasticity, or if the fish has a strong fishy smell, as these fish are likely dead or spoiled.
How to choose fresh and delicious shrimp
- You should choose shrimp that have a firm, transparent shell and you can see the flesh or internal parts of the shrimp, as these indicate good quality shrimp.
- If the shrimp is fresh, the tail will be tightly closed; on the contrary, if the shrimp is dead, the tail will spread out, so you need to pay attention to this when buying!
- Do not buy shrimp that are not intact, with shells and other parts like legs that can easily separate, and shrimp that are soft and lack firmness, as these are shrimp that are dead or have been stored for too long.
How to choose fresh and delicious pork fat
- You should choose pork fat that has a bright, creamy white color, and it should contain a little lean meat to prevent the dish from being too greasy.
- Use your hand to check the quality of the fat by gently pressing on the piece; good fat will quickly return to its original state and will not dent.
- Avoid buying pieces of pork fat that have a strong, unpleasant odor, that release abnormal liquids, and that feel sticky to the touch, as these indicate the fat is no longer good.
How to prepare Tilapia Fish Cake
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Prepare the ingredients
With 2kg of tilapia fish after purchasing, you clean the fish skin, take the meat, then wash it thoroughly and soak the fish meat in cold water mixed with a little vinegar to eliminate the fishy smell for about 5 minutes, then take it out and let it drain.
Take a dry cloth or paper towel to dry the fish meat. Then you cut the fish into small cubes for easier grinding.
Next, 300g of pork fat, you wash it clean with salted water and then rinse it with clean water and let it drain. Cut into small cubes and put in the refrigerator for about 3 – 4 hours!
Then, 300g of fresh shrimp you peel off the shell and tail, remove the shrimp thread, then wash it clean and let it drain completely.
With 3 shallots, you peel and chop finely. For 2 chili peppers, you remove the stems, take out the seeds, and chop finely.
Finally, 100g of dill you wash clean and then cut small to take the leaves, discarding the hard stems.
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Marinate and grind the fish mixture
Put the fish and shrimp in a food container. Add minced shallots and a little seasoning, 2 teaspoons each of: fish sauce, seasoning powder, monosodium glutamate, whole pepper, sugar, and cooking oil. Mix well. Cover tightly and refrigerate for 3 – 4 hours.
Then, take the fat from the refrigerator and mix it into the fish and shrimp mixture, stir well, and then put small portions into the meat grinder to grind finely.
When grinding, for each time, grind for 30 seconds – 1 minute, then pause for about 15 – 20 seconds before continuing. Grind about 4 – 5 times until the fish mixture is smooth like raw fish paste.
After grinding some, put it into a bowl and return it to the refrigerator to keep it cool, then continue grinding the remaining portions until all ingredients are used. After finishing the grinding, add the chopped dill and minced chili and mix well.
Tip:
- To prevent the fish cake from being crumbly and always chewy, the fish mixture must always be cold during the process. Therefore, when grinding, only take small portions out to grind, then put the fish container back in the refrigerator to keep it cold.
- If there are children at home who do not eat spicy food or do not like spicy, you can divide it into 2 portions, one with chili and one without chili!
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Steamed tilapia fish cake
Turn on the stove, prepare a steamer, and spread a thin layer of cooking oil on the steamer tray. Shape each fish cake into your preferred size and shape, you can use lemongrass to wrap around the fish cake, then place it in the steamer.
When the water in the pot boils, place the steamer on top and cover it, steaming for about 10 – 15 minutes until the fish cakes are cooked and soft.
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Final Product
So the tilapia fish cake is complete. The fish cake has a sweet and fragrant taste, crunchy and fresh texture without being dry, combined with the sweet taste of shrimp and the richness of pork fat, all the spices are evenly absorbed, making the dish more flavorful.
With fish cakes, you can fry them and enjoy as snacks, eat with rice, or make noodle dishes, all are very delicious, ensuring you have appealing meals.
Tips for preserving tilapia fish cakes
- After steaming the tilapia fish cakes, you need to put them in the freezer of the refrigerator, and they can last for 3 – 4 weeks, which is very convenient.
- Each time you use them, you just need to thaw and steam or fry them again, and the fish cakes will still retain their fresh taste.
The dish tilapia fish cakes is hot and aromatic, truly appealing, so hurry into the kitchen and showcase your skills for the family to enjoy. Wishing you success with the recipe from TasteVN!
Source of images and recipes shared from Facebook: Dikaho Phạm.
