How to make Tart London's spiced sweet potato fish cakes
We grew up on Sex and the City, a show of pure escapism in which the leading ladies seemed to have the best kind of lifestyle, one where they brunched a lot of the time.
And our very first meeting was actually like something right out of the show: outside a coffee shop on New York’s Lower East Side on a warm spring afternoon in our early 20s. With coffee cups and red velvet cupcakes in hand, we sat on a stoop and immediately clicked. We experienced a mutual love affair with the city and, in particular, the brunch culture. It opened our eyes to what we had been missing in London where, at the time, ‘greasy spoons’ were still pretty much the norm.
Those New York brunch spots, where everything that you crave is on the menu, were on our minds when we created these fish cakes, ideal for a lazy Saturday brunch at home. They’re so easy to make, delicious with lime-spiked yoghurt, fresh peppery rocket and a drizzly hot sauce. We would also eat them for lunch or dinner with a salad and lemony mayonnaise. Reliving our love affair with weekend brunches has had us thinking back to those New York summer days, and secretly feeling a little bit Sex and the City ourselves.
Ingredients
1 sweet potato, peeled, cubed and boiled until tender
1 tbsp coconut butter
3 spring onions,
finely chopped
2 inches of ginger, peeled and finely diced
1 garlic clove, minced
Zest of 2 limes
Small bunch of coriander, finely chopped, including stalks
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp garam masala
2 red chillies, finely chopped, including seeds
3 eggs
1 tbsp flour
300g smoked haddock, lightly steamed
Recipe
Lightly crush the sweet potato in a bowl with the coconut butter and season generously. Mix in the spring onions, ginger, garlic, lime zest, coriander, spices and chillies, tasting and adjusting as you go.
Mix in the egg and flour, then break in the smoked haddock — don’t over-mix at this stage, as you don’t want to break the fish up too much.
Leave to firm up in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before forming patties.
Heat a little oil in a non-stick pan and fry the cakes each side for 3-4 minutes until lightly browned.
Serve immediately with a poached egg, fresh rocket and hot sauce.