Kamaboko (Japanese Fishcakes) with Ginger-Soy Dip

Submitted By: Downhome

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Difficulty: medium Prep Time: Fifteen Minutes Total Time: Under an hour

Fish Cakes:
350g codfish, patted dry
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp + 1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp white wine
7 tsp cornstarch
2 egg whites
Ginger-Soy Dip:
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp ginger, grated
3/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp sesame oil
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp black pepper

For the dip: Blend all ingredients in a blender/food processor until thoroughly combined. Set aside at room temperature.

For the cakes: In a food processor fitted with an S-blade (or in a high-powered blender), blend the fish until smooth. Add sugar, salt, vinegar and wine, and blend again. Blend in the cornstarch. Add egg whites and blend one final time to a very smooth paste. Scrape down the bowl as necessary. If you want to, you can separate a small amount of paste to colour for contrast in your cakes.
Line a loaf pan with parchment paper or lightly spray with cooking spray. If using a coloured paste for contrast, pour that in the bottom of the lined pan first. Make sure itâ€™s very smooth. Pour the remaining fish paste over the coloured layer and smooth out. Tap out any bubbles by tapping the pan bottom on the counter a couple of times. Tightly seal the pan with foil. Steam the loaf for 30 minutes.
Remove from steamer, remove the foil and sit loaf pan on a rack to cool for about 20-30 minutes. Once itâ€™s cooled down enough to refrigerate, place it in the fridge for several hours, until itâ€™s entirely chilled. Turn loaf out onto a plate and slice into Â¼â€ thick pieces. Serve with Ginger-Soy Dip.
Yield: 6-10 servings