Cutlets turn up at every Sri Lankan party, usually in a pyramid that lasts about ten minutes. They are a tin of mackerel, a few potatoes and a lot of black pepper, which is a fair description of how good cheap food can be.
Make the mixture a day ahead if it suits you. Shaped and crumbed cutlets sit happily in the fridge overnight and fry straight from cold, so nothing has to happen while guests are standing in the kitchen.
Ingredients
- 1 tin BTM Jack Mackerel In Brine 425g, drained well
- 2 tsp TRS Black Pepper Coarse 100g
- 1 tsp Baba's Chilli Powder 250g
- 1 tsp Fudco Ground Coriander 100g
- East End Pure Sunflower Oil 1L, for frying, plus 2 tbsp for the filling
- 500g floury potatoes, boiled and mashed dry
- 1 large onion, very finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic and a thumb of ginger, finely chopped
- 2 green chillies, finely chopped
- 1 tsp salt and the juice of half a lime
- 2 eggs, beaten, and 150g fine dried breadcrumbs
Method
- Drain the mackerel in a sieve and press it with the back of a spoon to squeeze out the brine. Flake it, pulling out the soft bones if you prefer, though they mash in without trace.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan and cook the onion, garlic, ginger and green chilli over a medium flame for 8 minutes, until soft and just beginning to colour.
- Stir in the pepper, chilli powder and ground coriander and fry for 30 seconds. Add the fish and cook for 3 minutes, breaking it up, until the pan smells toasted and looks dry.
- Take it off the heat and fold in the mashed potato, salt and lime juice. The mixture should hold its shape when squeezed. If it feels loose, return it to a low flame for a few minutes to dry out, then cool completely.
- Roll walnut sized balls between your palms, about 30g each. Dip each one in beaten egg, then roll it in breadcrumbs until evenly coated. Chill for 30 minutes so the coating sets.
- Heat 5cm of oil in a deep pan to 170C. A crumb dropped in should fizz steadily and rise within two seconds.
- Fry in batches of six for 2 to 3 minutes, turning once, until deep golden. Crowding the pan drops the temperature and the cutlets drink oil. Lift onto kitchen paper and salt lightly while hot.
- Serve with lime wedges and a bowl of chilli sauce.
Cook's notes
Boil the potatoes whole in their skins and peel them hot. Cubed potatoes take on water, and wet mash makes cutlets that burst in the oil. Mackerel in brine gives a cleaner taste here than the tomato sauce tins, which are better eaten as a curry. Uncooked crumbed cutlets freeze on a tray and then bag up: fry from frozen at 160C for 6 minutes.
Questions
Which tinned fish is best for Sri Lankan fish cutlets?
Mackerel in brine. It gives a cleaner taste than the tins in tomato sauce, which suit a curry better. Drain it well and press out the brine with a spoon. The soft bones can come out, though they mash into the mixture without trace.
Why do my fish cutlets burst when frying?
The mash is too wet or the oil is too cool. Boil the potatoes whole in their skins and dry the filling in the pan until it holds when squeezed. Chill the crumbed cutlets for 30 minutes, then fry at 170C in batches of six.
Can I freeze fish cutlets?
Yes, freeze them uncooked once they are crumbed. Spread them on a tray until hard, then bag them up. Fry straight from frozen at 160C for about 6 minutes, turning once, until deep golden and hot through to the centre.
Can I make fish cutlets the day before?
Yes, shape and crumb them, then keep them covered in the fridge overnight. They fry straight from cold, so all you do on the day is heat the oil. Serve them with lime wedges and a bowl of chilli sauce.
