Kefta de Poisson - Fish Cakes Stewed in Herb and Lemon Sauce

Adapted from The Book of Jewish Food, by Claudia Roden

Serves 6

Ingredients

Sauce:

1 large onion, chopped into large dice

5 Tblsp. olive oil

1/2 tsp. turmeric

The skin of 1 pickled lemon, coarsely chopped. Lacking that, peel a fresh lemon and chop the flesh.

Salt and white pepper

1/2 cup chopped coriander

Fish cakes:

1 kg. - 2 lb. white fish, either filleted or ground

1 slice of white bread (I used a thick slice of Sourdough Walnut Herb Bread). It should be covered in cold water till wet through, then squeezed as dry as possible between your hands till you have damp ball.

1/2 onion, finely chopped

Salt and white pepper

1/4 tsp. turmeric

1/2 tsp. powdered ginger, or 1/4 tsp. freshly grated

4 Tblsp. rinsed, chopped coriander leaves

1 egg

Method:

1. First, make the sauce. Use your biggest frying pan. Pour the olive oil into it and get it hot.

2. Fry the onions in the olive oil till they become translucent.

3. Add the remaining sauce ingredients and sauté everything till it's all quite soft. Remove from the flame, to be reheated when the fish cakes are ready to cook.

4. Now, prepare the fish.

If you are using whole fillets, whizz them in the food processor, but don't put them in till you have already processed the moist bread, onions, seasonings, and egg.

When those are very well chopped, then add the fish. Make sure there's no skin, or you'll have to fish out rags of skin from the puréed mass afterwards, and that's no fun.

Process only till everything is well chopped and blended.

If you're using ground fish, just mix the onions, seasonings and egg up and mix them into the fish, beating well.

2. Reheat the sauce, then turn the flame down to low.

3. With wet hands, form thick patties about 4 cm. - 2" across. (This feels like handling gefulte fish.) Put them into the hot sauce and let them cook for 15-20 minutes.

Check after 10 minutes; if  each patty has a little "skirt" of egg around it, turn them over.

It doesn't take long to finish cooking. Check after 5 minutes; the underside should be golden and maybe starting to stick to the pan.

Serve with rice, steamed green beans, and sliced tomatoes for a pretty presentation and satisfying meal.