Crispy Shrimp Cakes

This is a Thai recipe, you can serve this with jasmine rice or a nice green salad, either way it's a very tasty dish and worth the effort.

• Ready In: 50 mins
• Serves: 6
• Yields: 6

Ingredients

• 500  g  fresh  prawns or 500  g shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 150  g ground pork (optional)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1  tablespoon fish sauce
• 1  tablespoon sugar
• 1⁄4 teaspoon white pepper
• 60  g  breadcrumbs
•  oil, for deep-frying
• 2  pieces fresh pineapple, thinly sliced, to garnish (optional)
•  chinese plum sauce, to serve (optional)
•  sweet  Thai sweet chili sauce
• 2  tablespoons water
• 2  tablespoons fish sauce
• 100  g sugar
• 1⁄2 cucumber, halved and thinly sliced
• 1  tablespoon  minced garlic
• 1  teaspoon  minced red  chili
• 60  ml rice vinegar
• 4  tablespoons  chopped roasted unsalted peanuts
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
•  springs coriander leaves, to garnish (cilantro)

Directions

1. To make the Sweet Thai Chilli sauce, bring the water, fish sauce and sugar to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat, and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until the mixture turns into a thin syrup. Remove from the heat and set aside. About 10 minutes before serving, combine all the other ingredients with the syrup and mix well. Transfer to a serving bowl.
2. Grind the peeled prawns or shrimp to a paste in a food processor. Combine the prawns or shrimp, pork (if using), salt, fish sauce, sugar pepper in a large bowl and mix until well blended.
3. Wet your hands, spoon 1 tablespoon of the mixture and shape if into a ball, them press if flat to from a round cake. Coat the cake on all sides with the breadcrumbs. Continue until all the mixture is used up.
4. Heat the oil in a wok or saucepan until hot. Gradually lower the coated cakes into the oil, a few at a time, and deep-fry for about 5 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown on all sides. Remove and drain on paper towels.
5. Line a serving platter with the pineapple slice (if using) and arrange the deep-fried cakes on top. Serve hot with a bowl of Sweet Thai Chilli Sauce or Chinese plum sauce (if using) on the side.