Jenny Morris is a local foodie who needs no introduction. With six cookbooks, various television shows and two restaurants under her belt she is well established as one of South Africa’s most respected food experts.
“Yumcious” (also the name of her restaurants at Cape Quarter Square and in Durbanville) is Jenny’s latest cookbook and includes a wide selection of every day recipes, with a touch of Jenny Morris flair of course! The book is chock full of beautiful, bright images and plenty of cooking inspiration for any occasion.
At the beginning of each chapter Jenny has added a personal touch with stories of her childhood, the food she remembers eating when she was growing up and of her own family’s favourite dishes. Her voice and personality shine through in her recipes and the way she writes them, and one almost feels as though she is right there with you helping you along!
My husband is a huge fan of malva pudding so it just had to be the first recipe we tried from the book. We enjoyed it as our dessert at a Sunday family dinner recently. Personally, I love that there are so many gorgeous salads in the book (salads for every season!) and so far I have tried Jenny’s layered aubergine and red pepper salad and warm chickpea salad which both made delicious week day lunches. I also have my eye on the decadent chocolate salami recipe as a potential edible gift to make for friends and family (ssh! Don’t tell them!) this Christmas.
I must also give special mention to the “Sweet Surrender” chapter at the end of the book which features a multitude of mouth-watering cakes, loaves, cheesecakes and more. I have not had a chance to delve into them yet but my gosh, they look fantastic!
The recipe I am featuring today (also from Yumcious) is ideal as a family meal. I absolutely love fish cakes but for some reason don’t make them that often, so I was keen to try out these zesty coconut crumbed fish cakes. Jenny’s fish cakes are coated in a combination of breadcrumbs and coconut (something she picked up in Thailand she says) and are really delicious with sweet chilli mayo on the side. I also ended up with a few leftovers which made a great lunch the next day with a bit of salad.
Yumcious (published by MapStudio) is available at all major book retailers such as CNA, PNA and Exclusive Books.
Cook’s notes:
- The original recipe says to divide the mixture into 8 fish cakes. I found these quite big so I now divide the mixture into 10 or 12 patties instead.
ZESTY COCONUT CRUMBED FISH CAKES
For the fishcakes:
- 1kg firm-fleshed fish
- 100g mashed potatoes
- 1 medium red onion, finely diced
- 2 spring onions, finely sliced
- 2 tsp fresh lime zest
- 1 red chilli, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
- salt and pepper
- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
- a few tbsp of vegetable oil, for frying
For the crumb coating:
- 100g panko breadcrumbs
- 50g desiccated coconut
- ⅔ cup plain flour
- 2 large eggs, beaten
For the sweet chilli mayo:
- 2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
- 3 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tsp chopped fresh mint
1.) Line a tray with baking paper. Combine all of the fish cake ingredients (except for the vegetable oil) in a large bowl. I found it easiest to mince the fish in a food processor first and then mix everything together by hand. Shape the mixture into ten or twelve fish cakes. Arrange the fish cakes on the tray and pop in the fridge for 20 minutes.
2.) For the coating: Combine the breadcrumbs and coconut. Dust the fish cakes with the flour. Dip each fish cake into the beaten egg, then coat with an even layer of crumbs.
3.) Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the fish cakes in the hot oil in batches until golden and cooked through (about 3 minutes per side). Drain the fish cakes on paper towel.
4.) For the sweet chilli mayo: Combine the sweet chilli sauce, mayonnaise and mint in a small bowl. Serve the fish cakes with a few spoonfuls of sweet chilli mayo on the side.
Looks yum! What type of fish did youuse Teresa?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Thandi! This particular time I used hake fillets and they worked well, but any firm fish will do. 😉
LikeLike
Thank you for a lovely review 😘
LikeLiked by 1 person
My pleasure! The book is wonderful.
LikeLike
Loved making these, really soft with a subtle taste of fish.
LikeLiked by 1 person
So glad you enjoyed them! I agree that the flavour is fantastic. 😉
LikeLike
really: the book is wonderful. I will gain more knowledge.
https://www.steptoremedies.com
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s a wonderful book! 🙂
LikeLike
I live on the Pacific Ocean and my fiancé is a commercial fish buyer so I eat fresh seafood nearly everyday. I’m always looking for recipes. This looks scrumptious and would work well with Halibut and Rockfish. I’m wondering…would you try this with King Salmon? Thanks.
LikeLiked by 1 person
How lucky you are to have access to that scrumptious seafood every day! 😉 I’m sure the King Salmon would give these fish cakes an awesome flavour.
LikeLike
It sounds yummy.. I am a sort of foodie as I love experimenting (a bit but not too much). You know what else is yummy, my tech blog http://www.techtantrum7.wordpress.com
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for popping in!
LikeLike
These look incredible! I can’t wait to try it out.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks! Let me know how it goes. 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sounds great. I’ve some hake fillets that I’ve been wondering what to do with – now I know. Do you use raw fish or do you cook it first? The coconut in the crumbs sounds devine. Going through a dukkah phase so thinking of adding that into the fish cake too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi! I use raw fish to make the patties. Ooh, dukkah sounds like a fabulous addition – great idea!
LikeLike