Homemade Fishcake

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Ever since my confinement lady left life very busy for me. Not only taking care of my baby but also the two kids and household. Therefore I have to be quick when come to prepare meals for family. I try using pressure cooker for soup and steam instead of frying with wok. If possible I will try to prepare something “instant” homemade food. So far this fishcake and char siew are my family “fast” food. I just need to preheat them after remove from the fridge.

My hubby hardly help me in the kitchen. He starts give me a hand when I was pregnant with my 3^rd child during last semester. I used to get backache and leg pain especially after long hour of standing. Therefore he will work with me when I was preparing fishcake.

After giving birth I hardly spend time in kitchen. I can’t spend long time since my little girl needs to be breastfeed very frequent. If lucky every 2- 2½ hours and sometimes can be less than an hour! >0< She is very fussy when come to wet nappy. She will cry out once she wet her nappy during her nap. After change then need to comfort her back to dreamland zzz….

Now days my hubby will do the weekly market “purchase”. I am surprise that he offers to help me prepare the fish paste. I helped him remove the meat from the bone (his cutting skill is not good ha..ha..) he took over from there. By the time I returned to kitchen the fish paste is ready to be shaped. Although is not 100% done by him it really “wow” me. Here like to say big “THANK YOU” to him for being a good husband and father to us.

Let me move to today recipe. Preparing fishcake from scratch require a lot of work. The tedious part is to get the fish paste springy. The crucial part is to keep stirring and bounch against the bowl as you work with the fish paste. It will turn pale and sticky and this means springy fish paste is almost there.  

pale and sticky

ready to be shaped

 

Ingredients :

Fresh mackerel fish (weight about 1.5kg)
* Not all mackerel fish is suitable for fishcake. Do ask the seller for the right fish.

150ml water
2 tsp salt
* Dissolve and set aside

Some pepper

Methods:

1. Cut the side of the fish, remove the meat (still attach to skin) from the bone (you can ask the seller to do it for you). Scoop out the meat from the skin with a spoon as much as you can.

2. Place the meat on the chopping board (do it by batches). Sprinkle some salt water, pepper and chop the meat with “BACK” of your knife (not the sharp edge). Adding salt water little by little during the chopping process. The paste is ready once turns very fine. Remove and put in a big bowl (I used wok as require some space for stirring). Repeat this process till all finished.

 

3. With your hand (easy to work with compare utensil) stir the fine fish paste in one direction until well combined. Do grab some fish paste and bounch againts the bowl (wok) as you stir. This will make the fish paste springy. The fish paste is ready once it turns pale and sticky.

4.  Divide into portions. Place into greased plastic bag and shape into rectangle shape (about 2 cm thick). Put into fridge to set (about an hour before fry).

5. Pour some oil into hot wok. Gently place the shaped fishcake into the wok and fry with medium heat till cooked and golden brown.

6. Leave to cool and cut into strips. Serve!

Notes :

1. Make sure use the greased plastic bag (by rubbing some oil) for storing the fish paste. This will help on easy removing.

2. Advise not to shape the fish paste thicker than 2cm as it require longer time to cook through.

3. Store in deep refrigerator if not consume within 3 days. Just take down and fridge a day before you use. Either refry or steam to preheat.

4. Do not throw away the bone. It can be used for making fish stock. Just pan fry the bone and boil with water for about 15-20 minutes. Drain and the fish stock is ready.

after remove the flesh

slightly fry and ready to boil with water as stock